How a humpback whale ended up with a sea lion in its mouth..
During a whale-watching trip last week, wildlife photographer Chase Dekker stared in awe as a humpback surfaced and engulfed a sea lion in its mouth.
The humpback whale, the largest of the three the group was observing—likely measuring around 50 feet long—opened its mouth to consume fish and accidentally “lifted the male sea lion like it was nothing,” says Dekker, who works as a naturalist for the whale-watching outfit, Sanctuary Cruises.
“As soon as I saw this photograph, I knew it may be one of the rarest shots I’ve ever taken,” Dekker says. “Not the most beautiful, not the most artistic, but probably something I would never see again.”