A photographer in Monterey Bay spotted a humpback accidentally trapping a sea lion when both species were snacking on the same bait ball.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHASE DEKKER


How a humpback whale ended up with a sea lion in its mouth

In an extremely rare occurrence, a photographer captured a sea lion getting snagged in the open mouth of a humpback whale.


BY SARAH KEARTES

PUBLISHED JULY 30, 2019

During a whale-watching trip last week, wildlife photographer Chase Dekker  stared in awe as a humpback surfaced and engulfed a sea lion in its mouth.


The humpback whale, the largest of the three the group was observing—likely measuring around 50 feet long—opened its mouth to consume fish and