Divers in Costa Rica were treated to an extraordinary sight recently at Cocos Island, when a massive fin whale seemed to glide gracefully past them.
Fin whales, which can measure 80 feet, are the planet’s second-largest creatures, next to blue whales.
Undersea Hunter, the dive company that posted the accompanying footage, stated that fin whales are among "the least documented whales” in the Central American country.
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Viewers will note the streamlined build of a whale that can swim at sustained speeds of 25 mph and boasts the nickname, "greyhound of the sea."
Undersea Hunter stated: "Sightings are exceptionally rare in the tropical Eastern Pacific. In more than two decades of
scientific surveys in Costa Rica’s Pacific waters, researchers logged only one possible fin whale, never confirmed. This may be one of the first verified records in Costa Rican waters."
NOAA Fisheries states: "Fin whales are typically found in deep, offshore waters of all major oceans, primarily in temperate to polar latitudes. They are less common in the tropics."
Cocos Island National Park is a scuba-diving paradise roughly 340 miles southwest of Costa Rica. The footage is credited to Juan Manuel Carmago and Diego Jimenez.
A comment on Facebook reads: "The lucky duck that got to film this! I bet their heart was all over the place with amazement."
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Massive fin whale glides past divers in rare encounter off Costa Rica
