Seal Surfing On A Whale

A photographer in Australia with some fortunate timing snapped this shot of a seal riding on the back of a humpback whale.

Robyn Malcolm captured the photo while whale-watching near Eden, New South Wales. The whales were having such a feeding frenzy, Malcolm says, she didn't even realize the seal was in the image until a day later.

New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife whale expert Geoff Ross told The Sydney Morning Herald that although it is highly uncommon for a seal to hitch a ride on a whale, there is a practical explanation: The whales surround fish and force them into "bait balls."

"Anything that makes it easier to catch fish, seals will be involved," Ross said.