Two young fisherman have an amazing selfie to remind them of how they helped a friendly whale that swam up to their boat.
Michael Riggion, 17, and friend Ivan Iskenderian were returning from fishing in the Middle Harbor, north of Sydney and were surprised when a whale nudged their boat.
‘It was surreal, we couldn’t believe our eyes,’ said Ishkenderian to Manly Daily.
The pair noticed that the friendly creature seemed to need some help. While Riggio took selfies, Ishkenderian leaned over to reach the whale. He saw what appeared to be plastic caught in its mouth.
The young man grabbed plastic bags and tangled fishing line out of the whale’s mouth.
Riggio said to Manly Daily, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, just seeing it so close.”
The whale had tried to get help earlier from Ron Kovacs who was also fishing nearby. Kovacs told Daily Mail Australia that the whale popped his head out of the water in front of him.
Kovacs lunged for the plastic trash, but his boat was too high and he missed.
“I made one grab for the bag but missed. He was very inquisitive and more interested in us,” Kovacs told Daily Mail Australia.
‘You could see that big eye coming out watching us. They are not dumb for sure.”
The young men who helped out said the sea mammal seemed to thank them by slapping his fin on the water and then swam away.
According to the Australian Department of Environment, there are 29 species of whales found in waters off the country’s coastline.
The whale that met the fisherman was identified by the Express as a southern right whale, known for its distinctive rough patches of skin on their heads.
These whales are known to be among the more human-friendly species, although whales are usually gentle, unless threatened.
