Tour operator captures video of rare triple breach by humpbacks off N.S.

By The Canadian Press

TIVERTON, N.S. – A video of three humpback whales surging out of the water one after the other off Nova Scotia has captured the attention of people around the world.

The stunning video was shot by Edward Giroux, who was a passenger on a Zodiac last month when the three large whales drifted near the small boat that was bobbing on the calm water.

All three of the large animals lolled on the surface for a few minutes, spraying water from their blowholes, before diving down in tandem.

The man leading the tour can then be heard excitedly telling people loudly to watch for the breach.

“Get ready, get ready — it’s going to be a triple breach!” he says.

The three whales bolt up through the surface, causing people on the Zodiac to shriek and squeal with delight.

The tour operator, Ocean Explorations Whale Cruises in Tiverton, N.S., said the whales may have been “inspired” by other whales breaching nearby and “decided to go for it.”

The tour operators explained on Facebook that the three whales were “logging” by the boat for several minutes before their takeoff.

Several people commented on the page on how close the Zodiac was to the animals, saying the onlookers should have been further back from the whales.

“You were way too close to those whales,” one woman wrote. “If you were on the west coast you’d be breaking the law. Everyone deserves space, privacy, peace and quiet including those whales.”

The tour company responded by saying the whales approached them and the video captured the end of the encounter “AFTER one whale swam under and around us. You will have to believe us on this.”

Ocean Explorations also said it could have been more bothersome for the whales to start the engines and move, and that “it is VERY normal for them to swim over and (even) interact.”

In July, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans implemented new regulations, requiring people and vessels to maintain a minimum distance of 100 metres from most whales, dolphins and porpoises to protect them from human disturbances.

A distance of 200 metres is required for approaching the already threatened killer whales in B.C. and the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga in Quebec.

On the web: https://licensed.storyful.com/videos/209026

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