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.
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.
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.