Going whale watching can be a gamble of sorts. You’re never guaranteed a sighting, and sometimes all you get is a little peek of a dorsal fin, a little flick of a tail, or perhaps a small puff from a blowhole.
Or, you’re this guy and get three stunning humpback whales all breaching at once.
On August 17, Edmond Giroux boarded a whale watching expedition with Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises, which typically takes passengers off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Though judging by the video, this was not your typical pleasure boat ride.
As the company’s site describes, each tour is overseen by tour director Tom Goodwin, a biologist who is currently working toward his graduate studies in environmental education. The company has become a large part of his studies and often participates in research projects, and invites guests to participate as well.
With that in mind, the company warns its tours are not for the “faint of heart,” as each excursion takes place in a large rigid-hull inflatable zodiac — similar to ones used by marine biologists — to bring people closer than ever to the whales.
The video below displays three whales breaching in unison - an act which is defined as a form of long-distance and close-range communication between the mammals.
“Even though these whales can produce calls that travel great distances, if there’s a lot of noise, it might be easy to drown out,” Chris Parsons, a cetacean biologist at George Mason University in Virginia.
“Leaping up in the air and splashing down is equivalent to the really keen kid in a classroom jumping up and down waving his arms.”