A Southern California whale-watching captain on Tuesday encountered a well-known humpback whale that lingered near his boat as if enjoying the camaraderie.
But what also stands out in Dominic Biagini’s footage, besides the spyhopping and other expressions of curiosity, is the unusual crackling sound the whale made during one of its reentries while alongside the vessel.
Biagini, owner of Gone Whale Watching San Diego, was on a filming expedition 18 miles southwest of San Diego with Taylor Parent when the male humpback whale, nicknamed Snowflake, approached the boat.
The footage, including slow-motion segments, is stunning. But viewers might pay special attention to the 10-second mark, when the whale spyhops and falls gently backward, producing a crackling sound not often associated with whale encounters.
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“You hear his barnacles moving?!” Biagini exclaims to Parent, who has already asked, “Are you serious?”
Asked if he were certain that barnacles produced the sound, Biagini told For The Win Outdoors: “I literally watched the barnacles rubbing together. Watch when his throat pleats flex. You can see the barnacles crunching against each other, making that noise.”
Snowflake, named because of the prominent white coloration on the underside of his fluke, has been documented several times off Southern California.
Biagini added that Snowflake “made my Instagram famous” during three nearly as incredible encounters in 2017. “My first three viral videos were all of that whale,” he said.
On Tuesday he and Taylor captured footage from above and below the surface as as the boat remained idle, allowing Snowflake to approach without interruption. This type of whale behavior is often referred to as “mugging.”
“We went out to film since we found the whales [during a private charter] the day before,” Biagini said. “Instead the two of us just got to lose ourselves in this encounter. Legitimately the best of my life!”