Diver Justin Hart snapped this amazing picture close to Lajes do Pico in the Azores

Jul 21, 2013 20:31 GMT  ·  By

We're used to seeing puppies act out when overtaken with joy. Turns out baby whales don't shy away from showing how they feel either.

The picture above was recently taken by British diver Justin Hart in the waters off Lajes do Pico in the Azores.

The diver says that, as far as he could tell, the sperm whale calf jumped out of the water to show how happy it was to be reunited with its family after losing track of them for only a few minutes.

“When I took the photo two adults females had just resurfaced and the calf quite literally began jumping for joy,” Justin Hart reportedly said.

Wildlife researchers explain that it often happens that whale calves get separated from their family as the latter dive to considerable depths.

When this happens, they start slamming their bodies onto the water. This tells the rest of the group where they are, and the family is soon reunited.