Incredible Photo Of The Moment A Humpback Whale Swallowed An Entire Sea Lion
Truly an amazing occurrence!
Photographing Whales
Humpback whales may be massive, but they are by nature very gentle creatures. Despite having the physical clout to destroy anything in their path, humpback whales feed on small fish and krill.
Wildlife photographer Chase Dekker was on a whale watching trip in Monterrey Bay when he managed to snap a photo of a pretty incredible sight: a humpback whale accidentally catching a sea lion in its mouth.
A Wild Mistake
Dekker explained the situation in a caption on Instagram:
Just the other day I witnessed something out on Monterey Bay I had never seen before. While the humpbacks were lunge feeding on a school of anchovies, a sea lion apparently didn't jump out of the way fast enough and got trapped inside the whales mouth!
He told National Geographic that it was one of the most incredible moments that he ever got to witness and that it was a one of a kind opportunity for a photographer.
"As soon as I saw this photograph, I knew it may be one of the rarest shots I’ve ever taken. Not the most beautiful, not the most artistic, but probably something I would never see again.
Lucky Sea Lion
Dekker explained that luckily the sea lion was able to escape.
"At some point the sea lion escaped and the whale seemed fine too as it continued to feed, but it must have been a strange experience for both parties! That sea lion had the true 'Jonah Experience'!"
Nature is truly wild.
