Passengers and crew get up close with stunning humpback whales in Australia

Three humpback whales gave a majestic hello to some lucky people in Australia.

Passengers and crew aboard a Barefoot Charters catamaran boat encountered the whales near Byron Bay, off New South Wales, in what Captain Dean Cropp said was a "once in a lifetime" encounter, according to Storyful. They were able to get into the water and get up close and personal with the majestic creatures.

"There were yells from up on deck that a whale was close by, and not a minute or two later, one of the whales swam right under the boat," Cropp said. "The smallest was the most inquisitive and came very close, rolling around and showing us their white belly and long pectoral fins. The three whales danced and swam around us, very in control of the encounter and very interested in checking us out."

The whales left and continued northboound after about 15 minutes.