Take a ride on the back of a majestic whale in ‘rare and remarkable’ migration video

The mythical experience of riding a whale has been captured on video after researchers managed to attach a 4K camera to a North Atlantic right whale off Virginia.

Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute shared the video on Facebook, noting the whale was tagged with a camera to “analyze her short-term dive and acoustic behavior.”

“The resulting video is a rare and remarkable glimpse into the southern migration of a pregnant North Atlantic right whale ... from the whales’ point-of-view,” the Wildlife Research Institute wrote.

“As you watch, note how low profile the whales are and how little disturbance they make at the surface. This is partly why it can be difficult for boaters to spot right whales, even in good conditions.”

The video shows massive right whales appear to move in slow motion as they smoothly glide, dive and rise again.

In those moments when they choose to surface, ocean waters roll gently across their backs and recede just as quietly.

Among the more unusual moments recorded is another whale crossing over the tagged whale, and gently caressing it with a fin.

Researchers attached the camera with a long pole and suction cup, the video shows. The tag was recovered a day later, 20 nautical miles south, with more than 10 hours of data recorded.

The whale, identified as Smoke, is 27 years old and recently parented her fourth calf, researchers said. She is seen in the video accompanied by another female, named Caterpillar.

“Smoke” has been tracked by scientists since first being spotted as a calf in 1996 “in waters off the northern coast of Florida,” according to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.

“In April of 2003, Smoke was spotted ... with what researchers were able to quickly identify as classic entanglement scars.” the center reports.

“No gear was seen on her, but it was obvious that sometime between August 2002 and April 2003 she had become entangled in fishing gear and had managed to disentangle herself, as her mother (Phoenix) was able to do about six years earlier.”

Right whales ”at least” live up to 70 years and can reach 52 feet in length and 140,000 pounds, according to NOAA Fisheries.

This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 8:30 AM with the headline "Take a ride on the back of a majestic whale in ‘rare and remarkable’ migration video."