A group of whale-watchers near Lahaina, Hawaii, squealed with delight as a large humpback whale popped out of the water for a “whalefie” during a tour on Sunday, January 15.Footage recorded by Lexie Jeffers shows the moment the boat was treated to the rare occurrence.Jeffers said she was crewing on the boat out of Lahaina when the humpback started “spy-hopping”, a behavior where a cetacean holds the front of its body vertically out of the water.“I have never had this happen before as spy hopping from a humpback is more of a rare behavior let alone right next to our boat,” Jeffers said, “Everyone on the boat was ecstatic and it was an amazing experience for everyone around. I will definitely never forget it!”Several guests can be heard squealing with delight at the close encounter with the whale, with one woman exclaiming: “That just made my day!”Hawaii Ocean Rafting, the company operating the boat carrying Jeffers and the tour, praised the “whalefie” on TikTok but added: “It’s important for us to share that whales are protected in Hawaii so we do not approach them closer than federal regulations – we have to wait for them to approach our boats, making these encounters really special!” Credit: Lexie Jeffers via Storyful