Seeing sea creatures while surfing isn’t totally uncommon, but getting to be up close and personal with one? That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In a video posted to Instagram by Trystan Snodgrass, a juvenile gray whale decided to pay two surfers a visit near San Diego, California.
Gray whales live in the northern Pacific Ocean and are known for their curiosity about boats. They’re often spotted on whale-watching tours. Though gray whales are not endangered, there is still a push to protect them from whaling and pollution in our oceans.
Seeing a gray whale while surfing isn’t super common, but this is not the first time something like this has taken the internet by storm. In January of 2020—almost three years ago to the date—a video of a gray whale swimming up to surfers was released by For the Win Today. This sighting was at Black’s Beach in San Diego and was recorded on aerial cameras.