A tourist caught the most incredible footage of a 40 Ton Humpback Whale playing next to their boat, leaping entirely out of the water.
It was a rare clear, crisp, cold, winter day offshore Mbotyi in Pondoland, Eastern Cape province in South Africa.
Craig Capehart and three other SCUBA divers were in a small “rubber duck” inflatable boat. Clive was the captain, Carlos divemaster and Levi was the deckhand.
They were tracking sardines during the annual world famous “South African Sardine Run”, a mass migration of pilchard fish up the east coast of Africa.
And even though they were searching for the fish, they were actually more interested in the predators they attract. Hungry bottlenose and common dolphins herd the long line of small sardines into compact groups called “bait balls”. Once a ball is formed, a feeding frenzy ensues. Dolphins, sharks, and birds feast on the dense pack of small fish, a magnificent sight to see.
“The seas were unusually calm that day on the Indian Ocean. That wouldn’t last long, soon returning to howling winds, whitecap waves, and giant swells! Did I mention it was cold – on land, at sea, and in the water?!”
Craig and the team had spent a couple of hours tracking the sardines when they came across a pod of migrating humpback whales.
“This day, there were few sardine sightings but the whales seemed to be everywhere! An unexpected bonus!”
Craig captured the action right next to the boat. He managed to capture a humpback whale mother cow swimming with her calf as well as an adult 40 ton whale on its back, slapping both its left and right fins on the water, then leaping entirely out of the water.
Watch the incredible footage below:
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