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Boat captain spots humpback whale off the Treasure Coast

Posted at 12:21 AM, Dec 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-20 00:44:51-05

A Port Salerno boat captain spotted a humpback whale off the Treasure Coast. 

Captain Mike Murray said at first he saw a huge splash of water a few hundred yards ahead of his boat. Then, up the whale came out of the water. 

It happened along the 8-mile reef, which is about 8 miles offshore of Stuart. 

Murray was leading a charter fishing trip Sunday and gave his crew the unforgettable experience. 

"People were all excited, and I positioned the boat so everyone could see it. He seemed to know that was his cue, or her cue or its cue, because it started jumping like crazy, it just jumped and jumped and jumped and that's when I started making a video. It's one of the best parts of this, is seeing people see things for the first time, you know, really nails home why I'm doing this and why I get up at 4:30 in the morning every day," said Murray. 

FAU's Harbor Branch told NewsChannel 5 it's ot uncommon for humpback whales to head south this time of the year. 

Scientists say they will mate, then head bak north around March.