American Deni Glover went fishing with his friends on the Sacramento River in California.
But they returned with a story far bigger than any fish they could have hoped to catch: they saw a humpback whale swimming right in front of their boat!
At first, one of the friends spotted a fountain of water rising from the river’s surface and said he saw a whale.
The others thought he had mistaken it for a dolphin, until the whale reappeared and dispelled their doubts.
Glover pulled out his phone to document the unexpected visitor, which had appeared about 97 kilometers from its usual habitat in the Pacific Ocean.
The humpback whale’s visit piqued the interest of scientists, who began monitoring its condition and trying to understand why it had ventured so far up the river.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the whale appeared to be in good condition and was surfacing regularly. Researchers also recognized it from photos taken years ago, and its last sighting was near the Baja California Peninsula in February.
This is not the first visit of its kind to the region; other whales have previously entered California’s inland waters before returning to the ocean.
As for this visitor, it turned an ordinary fishing trip into an unforgettable surprise. Experts advise keeping a safe distance from it so it can continue its journey undisturbed.
