Watch A Humpback Whale Calf Give These Brothers The Surprise Of Their Life!

Featured Image Credit: http://www.allcuteallthetime.com
By: Kira Krall

Ben and James Cullen got the surprise of their lives on a seemingly ordinary fishing trip in sunny Yeppoon, Queensland. The Cullen brothers spotted a large humpback whale off in the distance and started to film it. Watch who decided to crash the party, and make sure your volume’s on!

The Cullen brothers assume that the smaller whale was the larger one’s calf. Its kid-like curiosity and textbook humpback showmanship nearly swamped their boat. Humpbacks are also known for breaching multiple times, so the brothers stayed vigilant for the ten-foot baby just in case they needed to get out if its way.

A calf swimming playfully alongside mom in New Zealand. This tracking project revealed that the Oceania whales all followed a similar path until they reached Antarctic water. Image Credit: www.nzgeo.com

Humpback whales are internationally famous for their charismatic behavior and reliable migrations. They’re one of the most popular targets of the worldwide $2.1 billion a year whale watching industry. In both hemispheres, humpback whales migrate toward the equator to their winter breeding grounds and make their way back toward their respective poles for the summer feeding season. The Eastern Australian southbound migration happens from September to November, so this mom and calf are right on schedule.

A humpback breaching near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. No one’s figured out exactly why they do it, but it could be a way to communicate in noisy waters where their vocalizations can’t be heard. Image Credit: http://seasaltcharters.com

Queensland is also home to the World’s first documented albino humpback whale, Migaloo. He first made an appearance in 1991 and has been stunning Eastern Australia ever since. The elusive cetacean even slipped by Tasha Mulligan, a whale watching tour operator, for 20 years before she caught sight of him.