(Image: Robyn Malcolm/Diimex.com)
This seal has found a living surfboard. It is on the back of a humpback whale, and along with the free ride it might be getting an easy snack.
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Photographer Robyn Malcolm was whale-watching off the coast of Eden in south-east Australia. Seals, dolphins and birds were all at the surface chasing bait fish, which is plentiful in the area, while whales lunged from below to join the feeding frenzy. Malcolm was focused on taking photos of the whales and only spotted the surfing seal later on in digital form. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it stayed on top of the whale for long,鈥� she says.
from the Sea Watch Foundation in the UK, isn鈥檛 aware of similar sightings although several internet videos have captured seals trying to ride on a surfboard. 鈥淚t makes sense for any animal to save energy, which could be achieved by hitching a ride on a whale,鈥� she says. She is curious about whether the whale was complicit and also reaped some benefit.
The ride could have helped the seal get better access to fish. 鈥淚t is probably being opportunistic,鈥� says Danny Groves from Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the UK. 鈥淏y being behind the whale鈥檚 head, it could possibly catch any escaping fish.鈥�
Whales seem to be plentiful this season off the south-east coast of Australia. Last Saturday, Malcolm was surrounded by the largest group of humpback whales she has ever seen, providing plenty of opportunities for easy-riding seals.
