Humpback Whale's Graceful Boston Harbor Twirl Is Caught On Camera

State officials caught a rare glimpse of a humpback whale breaching and twirling out of the water near Spectacle Island on Tuesday.

The juvenile humpback whale's brief ascent was captured on camera by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation during rounds of the Boston Harbor Islands, the agency said on Twitter.

You can see Deer Island in the background as the whale jumps.

Scientists believe whales leap into the air in order to get a breath of fresh air and communicate with other whales.

Humpback whales are an endangered species, and there are about 80,000 left in the world, according to the Endangered Species Coalition.