Seeing a whale in real life is an incredible moment. Many adventurers book whale-watching tours just to catch a glimpse of this magnificent animal. However, it's not often that people will encounter one unintentionally. But that's exactly what happened to transparent kayaker Brodie Moss. As he glided his boat through blue waters, he spotted the distinct tail of a humpback whale sticking up from the ocean.
Moss uses a transparent kayak, which allows him to see the water below and in front of him without obstruction. He posted a video about his encounter with the whale, which clearly shows how close he was to the massive tail. “My heart is beating so fast,” he says in the video. “I think that's a whale tail. It's just come up and stuck its tail up and not going anywhere. I don't even know what to say.”
Overhead footage shot by a drone offers a better picture of the scene. Moss' boat floats a little ways away from a large adult humpback whale, while its calf circles around the body. “This is the craziest thing that's ever happened. The little baby is just swimming around her. That's a huge whale tail right in front of me!” Moss exclaims. Apparently, he witnessed a phenomenon known as “tail sailing,” where whales lift their tails above water for long periods of time. Although unclear why whales do this, some theorize it's done to cool down or because the whale is feeding somewhere deep underwater.
Transparent kayaker Brodie Moss witnessed a mother humpback whale lifting its tail above water in a phenomenon known as “tail sailing.”
Brodie Moss: Instagram
h/t: [Laughing Squid]
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