Free diver Kaeo Landon Lane was on the water in Bicheno, Tasmania, when two curious southern right whales approched him and gave him an affectionate nudge.
“We stopped our small 6hp motor (boat) over 100 metres away and I hopped in the water. I swam away from the boat and they shadowed into view a couple of times, where I would stay completely still. The visibility was at least 20 metres,” Lane said.
“The third time they came into view they were pointing at me, and slowly coming closer. There were a lot of things going through my head, but fear was not high on that list. They didn’t feel threatening. It got so close I could see the hairs on her chin.
“I remember thinking, ’that’s close enough now.’ It aimed for the centre of my chest. I didn’t feel comfortable with the chest bump, so I reached out my hand so that I could keep some small distance.
“Pushing against it I felt its enormity, being that close to it and feeling so small against it. It held that touch for a moment, before backing up with its tail and moving past me. My thigh was now on another collision course with its pectoral flipper, which gently bumped me sideways as it glided past.
“They returned once I swam back to the boat, once again floating past slowly three more times. My dad then got in the water as well, and they came back another four times, kicking with their (tails) in slow motion.” Credit: Kaeo Landon Lane via Storyful
