This humpback whale certainly isn't shy. The massive marine mammal showed off for a crowd of whale watchers in Monterey Bay over the weekend, breaching again and again for everyone to see.

Randy Straka, photographer and videographer on board with Princess Monterey Whale Watching, snapped pictures and shot video of the show of nature Saturday.

While humpback whales have been spotted on and off in the area over the past few weeks, the whale watching company calls this guy the "first humpback breacher of the season." He was also the second, third and fourth breacher, as he jumped out of the water repeatedly.

Scientists aren't exactly sure why humpback whales breach — it's not like we can just ask them. But the behavior is thought to serve many purposes: breathing, communication, warding off prey, or perhaps even just showing off.

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In the video below, the crowd can be heard gasping, oohing and awing at the humpback's impressive acrobatics.

The whale watching tour also spotted gray whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea lions, albatross, and sea otters while out on the water Saturday.

Earlier in the week, the company also spotted a killer whale in Monterey Bay. The animals are attracted to the area in springtime to hunt migrating gray whales and their calves, who migrate from Baja California up to Alaska for the winter.

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The northward migration of gray whales has already begun, but the young babies and their mothers are usually last to arrive. As more arrive in April and May, whale watchers can expect to see even more activity off the coast of Central California, as orcas, gray whales and humpbacks all convene in one place.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com.

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