JUPITER, Fla. — Humpback whales are typically not found in Jupiter, but two Palm Beach County boaters were lucky enough to see one and record it.
On Saturday, Mike Lee and Daniel Hanna were out fishing near the Jupiter Inlet when they witnessed the incredible sight.
“I looked out in the corner of my eye, and I saw a splash that literally looked like a bus hit the water and I said ‘Mike, something just jumped over there,'" stated captain Daniel Hanna. “I don’t know what it was, it was out of the corner of my eye, but it was the biggest smash I’d ever seen in my whole life on a boat.”
The men say they were out on approximately 60-foot-deep water and decided to get near the splash.
“So, we got a little closer and I was like, ‘Wow, it’s a whale. I can’t even believe it,'" stated Hanna.
They couldn’t wait to share the moment with loved ones.
“I started sending it to all my friends and family and they were all freaking out,” shared Lee.
Dr. Shelby Loos has studied marine life for 12 years and works with Coastal Stewards as the director of marine life conservation.
She told WPTV reporter Zitlali Solache that while it is a rare occasion, whales migrate from the north Atlantic towards warmer waters in the Caribbean.
“They travel down there during the winter to give birth and to mate," she said. "They’re in the middle of their migration, usually it lasts between December to April, but you might see them off the coast of Florida.”
Dr. Loos says it's rare to see them near the shore.
“Sometimes one or two might come a little bit closer and so boaters and or people might be able to see them off the coast,” stated Dr. Loos.
Meanwhile, for Lee and Hanna, it’s a fishing trip they will never forget.
“We’ve seen some crazy stuff out there over the years, out in the water. But I can’t really think of anything crazier than that honestly,” stated Lee. “Yeah, I feel pretty lucky."
