On Aug. 30, a humpback whale calf stunned everyone onboard by jumping completely out of the water and soaring through the air before splashing back down.
"Humpbacks breach for a variety of reasons," Monterey Bay Whale Watch said. "It was likely to stretch growing muscles and probably as a form of play as well."
These massive creatures are beloved by boaters for their spirited jumping and surface athletics. They also sing to their lovers during mating season - songs that can be heard from 20 miles away.
Humpback whales are born weighing around 2,000 pounds and measuring up to 15 feet in length, according to the Marine Mammal Center. As adults, they reach nearly 90,000 pounds and 60 feet in length.
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