The crew and passengers of the Barefoot Charters catamaran boat experienced on August 25 what Captain Dean Cropp described as a “once in a lifetime” up-close encounter with three humpback whales near Byron Bay, off New South Wales, Australia. Sitting in calm waters and waiting for winds to pick up for their home journey, Cropp said he and two other people got into the water to clean the propellers when the huge whales appeared.

“There were yells from up on deck that a whale was close by, and not a minute or two later, one of the whales swam right under the boat,” Cropp said. “The smallest was the most inquisitive and came very close, rolling around and showing us their white belly and long pectoral fins. The three whales danced and swam around us, very in control of the encounter and very interested in checking us out.”

After about 15 minutes, the whales left, continuing their northbound migration, while the boat, after two months at sea, headed south towards Sydney, Cropp said. Credit: Facebook/Barefoot Charters