Home Topics Wildlife Seal takes a ride on a humpback whale

Seal takes a ride on a humpback whale

A seal rides on the back of a humpback whale Image credit: Robyn Malcolm/DIIMEX.COM

Photographer Robyn Malcom captured a startling image of a seal riding on the back of a humpback whale. 

She says: 

“On a recent whale watching trip out of Eden, NSW, we experienced dolphins, seals, birds and whales feeding on bait fish. At times there was so much going on, you didn’t know which way to point the camera.

The seals and dolphins were going crazy on top of the water, then the whales would lunge straight through the middle. I managed to get some great shots of whales feeding, but was surprised to find these two photos in amongst them, as I didn’t see it at the time. I don’t think he stayed there for long!

This photo was taken just south of Eden with an Olympus E-M5, 40-150m lens F5.6 1/1000. The whale season continues to be a big one, last Saturday we were ‘mugged’ by the biggest group of humpbacks I have ever seen, who were happy to play with us for a while.”

Read Next

‘Bunyip’ bird returns to restored Tasmanian wetlands

For the first time in more than 40 years, the distinctive booming call of the endangered Australasian bittern once again rings out across the waters of Tasmania’s Lagoon of Islands.

Bringing back the eastern bristlebird

Eight captive-bred eastern bristlebirds (Dasyornis brachypterus) were recently released into the Border Ranges region of north-eastern New South Wales where they're considered a critically endangered species.

Fishing for answers in Menindee Lakes

A New South Wales-first oxygenation trial aims to address dissolved oxygen levels in the Darling River that have contributed to large-scale fish deaths in recent years.