Young sea creature makes ‘rare’ appearance in Sydney Harbor. See ‘special’ sight

A young humpback whale made an unusual appearance in Australia’s Sydney Harbor, disrupting traffic and delighting onlookers.

The marine mammal swam into the city-side waters July 16, according to Transport for New South Wales, a government agency.

Video footage shows the juvenile creature leisurely breaching the surface near a cluster of high rise buildings.

The harbor excursion wasn’t all fun and games for everyone, though.

It created a “navigational challenge” for vessels and ferries in the area, Vanessa Pirotta, a local whale expert, told The Guardian, noting “it’s so easy for vessels to strike whales.”

In fact, some city ferries were even forced to halt their morning commutes, according to ABC News Australia.

Eventually, the whale was escorted out of the harbor by wildlife experts and is believed to have left the area, according to the outlet.

The sighting was described as “rare and special,” by ORRCA, a wildlife non-profit, though it said it was not entirely unprecedented.

“With the east coast’s humpback population continuing to thrive, sightings like this are becoming more common in sheltered waters,” it said.

As to why this whale chose to hang out in the busy harbor, the organization offered a theory.

“Calm bodies of water like the harbor often provide whales with a much-needed opportunity to rest and reset during their long migration,” ORCCA said.