Nature occasionally brings wonder and surprise, though we often have to look for it very closely. But sometimes nature goes out of its way to bring the surprise all by itself. Let me elaborate. Today's story is about a few resurfaced photos where a grey whale sneakily popped up behind unsuspecting sightseers and pleasantly surprised them. The photographer E. Smith, who closely and carefully watched the situation, caught this rare moment and shared it on his Instagram, and unsurprisingly, caught a lot of attention for it in the media. Him capturing the moment was no coincidence, as Smith knew how whales act and they tend to be really sneaky. In fact, they're so sneaky that the maneuver has a name: it's called a spy hop. So without further ado, here are the amazing photos.
"The calf made an appearance near the bow of the boat causing everyone to look forward"
Image credits: esmith_images
Here's the whole story in his own words.
“Every morning, small groups of visitors onboard small motorboats known as pangas, to see the whales. In this photograph, a panga with people from my camp were known as a cow and a calf pair. My fellow whale enthusiasts from Campo Cortez in Baja wait for an appearance at the front of their boat. The calf made an appearance near the bow of the boat causing everyone to look forward. While this awesome spy hopper snuck up behind everyone at super close range in a behavior called a spy hop. Cheering and hysterical laughter ensued.”
“Every morning, small groups of visitors onboard small motorboats known as pangas, to see the whales. In this photograph, a panga with people from my camp were known as a cow and a calf pair. My fellow whale enthusiasts from Campo Cortez in Baja wait for an appearance at the front of their boat. The calf made an appearance near the bow of the boat causing everyone to look forward. While this awesome spy hopper snuck up behind everyone at super close range in a behavior called a spy hop. Cheering and hysterical laughter ensued.”
"A second later, the mother emerged a foot behind the stern in a behavior called a spy hop"
Image credits: esmith_images
“This shot is the second before everyone caught on and cheers erupted.”
"And the winner of hide and seek is..."
Image credits: esmith_images
"I’m ready for my close up"
Image credits: esmith_images
"I mean... she’s totally posing. No two ways about it. The grey whales of Baja are something else. These photos from March put me in a good mood. Ignorance was bliss that week."
Image credits: esmith_images
"Happy accidents are rare, but I try to put myself in scenarios where they are much likelier to occur. I also make it a point to have a good camera with me at all times, because you never know when you’ll see something amazing. I’m always viewing the world in single frames and can’t really turn it off. I’d rather be ready to make an image of a great moment than have it fade from my memory."
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
"Well hello! It’s good to meet you! As Henry David Thoreau wrote, 'The world is but a canvas to our imagination.' Below the surface of Baja’s San Ignacio Lagoon last week, a young grey whale swam close for a look. I’m so fortunate to have had these remarkable experiences."
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images
Image credits: esmith_images