VIDEO: Police officer captures video of whale breaching near Kittery, Maine – Boston News, Weather, Sports

KITTERY, Maine (WHDH) – A humpback whale thrilled boaters off the coast of Kittery, Maine, on Thursday when it breached the water just yards from their boat.

The Kittery Police Department shared a video of the moment on its Facebook page, attributing the video to Officer Danny Contois.

The police department said Contois was off-duty when he captured the “magnificent view.”

“Happy Fourth of July everyone!” Kittery police said.

The video from Contois shows the whale apparently trying to catch a school of fish near the water's surface.

People on Contois' boat can be heard reacting as the whale sinks beneath the waves.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, global humpback whale populations have rebounded significantly since the final moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985.

Known to live in oceans around the world, the whales migrate thousands of miles from their tropical breeding grounds to colder feeding grounds, NOAA said.

NOAA lists the New England coast as one of these feeding areas.

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