whale watchers on a small boat in the ocean. A whale can be seen slightly exiting the water
Jade Small
Jade Small
June 21, 2021 ·  3 min read

Hilarious moment sneaky whale pops up behind sightseers as they look the wrong way

The best photobomb on the internet just happened recently when a sneaky whale took some tourists by surprise. You wouldn’t expect a whale to be the winner of hide-and-seek, but it turns out, they can be incredibly stealthy if you’re not paying attention. Photographer Eric J. Smith captured the amazing (and hilarious) photos of a surprise whale popping up while the unsuspecting boaters looked the other way.

whale, camera, hat, people, ocean
Image Credit: Eric J. Smith | Instagram

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Pure Luck

On a beautiful day in Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, whale-watchers grabbed their best camera equipment in hopes of spotting some majestic whales. You might not consider sitting patiently, waiting for something to happen to be a super exciting adventure, but eventually it does become quite thrilling.

“Whale photography involves a lot of luck, but the key is to always be on alert and ready,” said photographer Eric J Smith. “On a whale watching voyage, it is easy to get complacent because there is a lot of waiting. It seems like the moment you let your guard down a spectacular breach occurs.”

Eris J Smith – LadBible

Professional photographer Eris J Smith was on another boat, attempting to get his own photos of whales when he noticed something rather amusing. The boat in front of him was full of whale enthusiasts hoping to get a glimpse of a humpback for their album collections. On that day, a sneaky whale made its move and instantly became internet-famous. When the boaters were looking in one direction with their cameras, the sneaky whale peeked up behind them, on the opposite side of the boat! That is when Smith captured the hilarious photos.

It was only by pure luck the whale-watchers happened to turn around at just the right moment and see the beautiful sight right before it vanished into the depths once more. You can even see one woman so completely filled with joy she raises her arms in sheer elation. Thankfully, Smith was able to capture these angles so the whale-watchers could fully appreciate the spectacle. After all, it’s not every day you come across such a sneaky whale.

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A Day to Remember

If something like that happened to you, you would probably remember it for the rest of your life. I know I would! The whale-watchers were incredibly lucky they turned around to see the sneaky whale when they did- they almost missed it. Marvelous adventures like this don’t happen all the time, and everyone had a good laugh when it was all over. I bet they were filled with a kind of joy you can’t really describe.

Image Credit: Eric J. Smith

If you were a whale enthusiast, this would probably be your dream day come true! What would you do if you were able to be that close to a humpback whale?

“When everyone turned around, she quickly sank below the surface. Cheering and hysterical laughter ensued”

Eris J Smith – LadBible

We’re not sure if anything could top that. After you have an encounter like that with a sneaky whale, nothing else would come close!

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Sources:

  1. “Sneaky Whale Pops Up Behind Sightseers As They Look The Wrong Way.” Lad Bible. June 16, 2021
  2. “It’s behind you! Hilarious moment sneaky whale pops up behind sightseers as they look the wrong way.” Daily Mail. June 16, 2021
  3. Eric J. Smith. @esmith_images. Instagram