Many species across the world’s habitats share the same time and space as others in the same region. These species can coexist peacefully, or sometimes run into conflicts outside of direct predator-prey relationships. Some interactions can even be accidental – such as the case of a harbor seal who ended up inside the mouth of a humpback whale.

In the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a whale watching tour group witnessed a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) looking pretty bewildered inside the mouth of a humpback whale named Zillion. These incredible photographs were taken by Brooke Casanova, who works for Blue Kingdom Whale and Wildlife Tours. 

Humpback whales have baleen plates for filter feeding and can consume enormous amounts of small marine invertebrates (krill) per day. To do this they lunge feed, opening their huge mouths and scooping in great quantities of water to filter their prey out of. Unfortunately for the seal, it was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was scooped inside the mouth of the whale. 

The team reports that the seal did manage to escape from the whale’s mouth unharmed. 

Harbor seals are a common marine species. They weigh around 129 kilograms (285 pounds) and are 1.8 meters (6 feet) long. Humpback whales weigh 40 tons and can measure up to 18 meters (60 feet long). Harbor seals feed on fish and crustaceans and are typically the prey of killer whales, though they have been observed being attacked by wolves and they face other dangers from members of the public.

Humpback whales have a variety of techniques for feeding, including the use of bubble nets to trap their prey. This behavior has meant that they join the elite list of animals that wield tools.