Eleven-year-old Dawson Gage could not contain his excitement when a humpback breached off the side of his guided fishing boat in Nootka Sound on Sept. 16.

In fact, the youngster’s reaction was caught by Davis Rennie, who is a fishing guide for Nootka Wildnerness Lodge, a resort located in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The video of Gage’s giant smile has since gone viral.

For years, whales along the west coast of B.C. and Washington State have been known to put on impromptu shows for boaters and tourists.

In May, whale watchers near the north shore of San Juan Island were treated to a group of killer whales chasing down their lunch, a large Steller Sea Lion.

While there were a lot of dives and tails thrashing, it didn’t appear the killer whale family ate the sea lion and after the attack, they quickly moved out of the area.

Source: Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.