14 DAY TRIAL // I don't know about you, but I for one cannot imagine anything cooler than coming face to face with a whale, and not at some marine park, but in the latter's natural habitat.
Hence, I have to admit that I am a bit jealous of Mr. Reinhard Mink from Germany, i.e. the diver featured in the picture above.
According to Daily Mail, Mr. Mink came this close to the 50-feet (12.2-meter) sei whale in this photo while swimming in the waters close to Portugal's Azores Islands.
“I looked directly into his eye and that's something I will never forget. That feeling of two species trying to understand each other was remarkable. It was a very special moment,” the diver commented on this encounter.
Sei whales are some of the fastest animals of their kind. Thus, they can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour (roughly 64.6 kilometers per hour) when swimming. Sadly, they are currently listed as an endangered species.