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.

OhadArazi told the CBC he and his familyspotted the grey whale swimming right off the beach in West Vancouverabout 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 headinginto Vancouver harbour, afterRoyal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue Station 1 in West Vancouver tweeted a photo of the whale near BrocktonPoint.