Young Humpback Whale Spotted Breaching in Seattle's Elliott Bay

The two-year-old calf of 'Smiley' provides a rare display of wildlife in a major city, as whale visits to the area increase.

A young humpback whale, designated CRC-20899, was spotted breaching in front of the Space Needle in Seattle, providing a rare display of wildlife next to a major city.
The whale, estimated to be about two years old, is identified as the calf of an adult female known as 'Smiley'.
Photographs of the event were used to assess the general health of the whale and will aid researchers in tracking the marine mammal.
The Soundwatch Boater Education Program, which aims to protect whales in busy Elliott Bay, shadowed the whale during its visit, alerting other vessels to its presence.
As whale populations rebound, visits to the Seattle metropolitan area by cetacean whales like humpbacks have been increasing.