A resurfaced viral video astounded viewers as they watched a sea lion take a ride on the back of a gray whale next to a whale-watching boat by the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico.
Originally shared on YouTube by WhaleOfATime in 2015, the clip was recently re-uploaded to the "NextF*****gLevel" forum on Reddit by u/dump_acc_91, where it received more than 13,000 votes at the time of publication.
According to Sea Kayak Adventures, gray whales will travel to the warm waters of Mexico starting in October.
"Gray whales give birth and nurse in only three locations, all of which can be found off the Baja peninsula: San Ignacio Lagoon, Magdalena Bay and Laguna Ojo de Liebre," a piece published by the organization stated. "In these sheltered waters, gray whales are able to give birth, nurse and mate without fear of predators."
Whale watching season is at its peak between January and March, however gray whales can be seen from late December through April. The whales typically return to Arctic waters by late March, though some will stay into May.
The sea lion is first seen poking its head out of the water before swimming forward. In the next clip, it is spotted by members of the whale watching tour group on a whale's back as it briefly breaks the surface of the water before going back under.
A blog post written by Whale of a Time about the video speculated that the sea lion may have been tired and was resting on the whale's back.
Many commenters were delighted after watching the incredible video.
"What a sight! I have swam with dolphins but would love to see whales in the ocean," a Reddit user commented.
One viewer dubbed the ride a "sea lion rodeo."
"Look Ma no hands!" wrote a viewer.
"No flippers!" replied another.
While some likened the video to a rodeo, others suggested it looked like the sea lion was surfing.
One comment read, "Cowabunga, dudes! Who needs waves when you can [surf] on whales instead?"
"The whale is a giant surf board for the sea lion," a viewer wrote.
Other video clips and images of different whale species have graced the internet, like the critically endangered North Pacific right whales that were seen in the Bering Sea.
Newsweek also reported about a newborn orca calf swimming alongside its mother in Washington state. Meanwhile, another whale watching company shared images of gray whales breaching next to kayakers just off the coast of California.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Catherine Ferris is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting for the U.S. Trends Team. She ... Read more
