Humpback Whale Breaches Right in Front of Swimming Photographer

Australian photographer Beau Pilgrim got the surprise of a lifetime recently when an adult humpback whale breached right in front of him, landing just a couple of meters away from the swimming photographer. Fortunately for us, he captured the incredible moment on video.

Pilgrim was shooting off the coast of Tonga a couple of weeks ago when this happened, shooting with his trusty Canon 5DIII and 1DXII safely ensconced in Aquatec housings. Critically, he also keeps a GoPro attached to both of his rigs when he’s swimming, “to avoid missing any exciting occurrences.”

“It was the most surreal and incredible experience […] being meters from this Humpback Whale when it breached and landed next to me,” writes Pilgrim on Facebook. “Such an amazing adrenaline rush!”

To see some of the amazing whale photos Pilgrim captures when he’s swimming with these gentle giants, head over to his website or give him a follow on Facebook and Instagram.

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