At the break of a fine summer’s day, with the light glinting just so off the sapphire Atlantic, a certain humpback whale named Literal steered his way northward, content among the swells. His name suits him, for each journey he makes seems to follow the straight and unfiltered currents of the sea, not unlike a wise old uncle determined to stick to the coast road, come fog or sunshine.

Literal’s tale begins in the brisk, briny waters off Maine, where he first showed himself one fresh June day in 2008. Maine’s jagged coastline must’ve been a familiar comfort, for two years later, in August 2010, he cut through Northern Gulf of Maine, no doubt stirring up a fuss among schools of sprightly herring.

When winter crept up in January 2012, Literal was spotted far to the south, near balmier Virginia Beach. Perhaps the cold chased him away or there were stories yet to be told in southern surf. It was a wanderer’s move, trading lobster boats for sandy shores and southern warmth.

For a full decade, nothing more was heard—until Literal burst forth from memory and into Newfoundland and Labrador’s cool embrace on an August day in 2022. First came a mysterious surfacing, then just days later, he flashed his tail in Northern Cove, delighting all who caught a glimpse. Literal lingered in these northern reaches, accepting the wild beauty before showing up again in July 2026 off Great Island, where seabirds and sheer cliffs met him like old friends.