Grey whale spotted frolicking in West Vancouver

A Vancouver family had what they described as a "tremendous experience" Monday afternoon, when a grey whale unexpectedly appeared off Ambleside Beach.

Ohad Arazi told the CBC he and his family spotted the grey whale swimming right off the beach in West Vancouver about 4:15 p.m. PT. 

"It was swimming upside down with its two flippers up in the air and sticking out of the water, and then it would switch back to and dive back down," said Arazi.

"We climbed up to the rocks and it came within 15 metres of us, leisurely swimming back and forth, repeating the front to back pattern."

Half an hour later, it appears the whale was heading into Vancouver harbour, after Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue Station 1 in West Vancouver tweeted a photo of the whale near Brockton Point.