Seward, a city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough of Alaska, is popular hot-spot for tourists to go whale watching. People from the around the world head here to embark on a scenic cruise into the Kenai Fjords National Park in hopes of seeing these majestic creatures. A few years ago, Brad Rich and Tony Flanders got the experience of a lifetime while they were boating off the coast of Seward, Alaska.
Brad and Tony were out in the water when they saw something interesting in the distance.
A large group of seagulls was circling an area of the fjord, leading Brad, a fisherman, to guess whales were feeding nearby.
For those who are unaware, humpback whales and marine birds share a symbiotic relationship. Humpbacks feed by using their blowholes to blast sand eels and fish towards the surface of the water, a technique called “bubble feeding”. Then, the whale swims towards the surface with its mouth open, swallowing its meal in one bite.
But, when the whales blow the fish towards the surface of the water, other animals benefit too! As Orleans Conservation Trust explains: “Gulls such as herring or laughing gulls will take advantage of these large schools of fish conveniently located right at the surface because of the whale’s behavior.”
“[They] will often be seen whenever groups of whales are feeding, simply taking advantage of the fact that the whales’ feeding technique provides such an abundance of their favorite food.”
So, when Brad saw the group of birds circling the area above the water, he figured whales must be nearby— little did he know, however, he was in for an unforgettable surprise. Brad’s friend Tony immediately grabbed the camera and, luckily, managed to capture the scene.
In the video, you hear Brad and Tony discussing whether they’ll see the whales— but what follows is a scene straight out of a BBC documentary!
Out of nowhere, nearly a dozen whales suddenly breach from the water, only mere feet from the fishermen’s boat.
The powerful whales nearly tip the boat over, but the men rejoice in an innocent, child-like sense of wonder.
“Oh my God, they’re right in front of us!” Brad exclaims, laughing hysterically.
In the midst of his excitement, Brad does curse a bit— so keep this in mind if there are any child viewers in the room.
Since being uploaded to YouTube, the whales’ amazing feeding frenzy has been viewed over 14 million times.
The whales are the picture of natural beauty, but viewers also seem to enjoy Brad’s excitement about the whole event.
“I can’t decide what I like better when I come across this- the beautiful whales or your contagious laughter.”
“If nature makes a grown man giggle like a little girl, maybe it’s something worth preserving.”
“Just listening to his excitement in his voice and seeing such a rare sight of whales eating ALSO put a smile on my face… That was really an enjoyable clip!”
Watch the incredible moment below!
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