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SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — A group of marine researchers says a young beluga whale is too attached to the Maritimes for his own good.

Nepi, who’s estimated to be about four years old, was spotted in Summerside, P.E.I., in early December, much to the delight of a local diving class.

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“We heard a whale, or what we thought was something blowing, and then this whale appeared,” recalled Kimball Johnston, an instructor at Holland College’s commercial diving program.

The group, which included Johnston and 11 students, thought the whale would swim away and keep his distance. Instead, Nepi hung around the divers for several hours.

“He started coming around and was more curious, and was diving amongst our divers, and kept getting closer and closer to the point where he was right up next to them and they could see him very, very clearly,” he said.

Johnston, who’s been diving for more than 20 years, said he’s never seen a beluga so close to the Island.