Remarkable Footage of a Humpback Whale in South Portland, Maine

To see a humpback whale in South Portland is rare, to say the least.

In the video that Josh Doughty posted on Facebook, there is a bad word. I have to say, I would have let a few fly too if I had witnessed this off Spring Point Light in South Portland. As Josh says, 'How lucky are we to have been there?'

Josh was with his wife only and still can't believe what they saw. He told me,

It was such a rare thing and it was just my wife and me. We saw the tail first and followed its direction. Then all of a sudden I heard a splash behind us. Then I took that footage.

Humpback whales are all over the world, but they are most common in places like Mexico, Greeland, South Africa, Hawaii...and now South Portland.

Although huge, humpback whales are one of the most gentle animals in the world. You can actually swim with whales, but not without a guide. They say to just keep your distance and don't touch them.

Humpback whales are special. If you Google them, you find out so many reasons why we love them. They have those haunting and melodic songs that can last for hours! And of course, we love it when they breach the water with amazing acrobatic abilities. And no, they don't have actual humps on their backs. They got the name from the large hump that forms when they arch their backs before making a deep dive into the ocean.

Thank you Josh for getting such remarkable footage. Let's hope they make it out of the channel safely back to their home.