Grey whale Little Patch mesmerizes, sparks connection in Metro Vancouver [Video]

A grey whale known as Little Patch has been mesmerizing onlookers in the waters off of Vancouver for weeks, sparking a sense of connection as it stops to feed in the busy region before migrating northward.

Cari Siebrits first went to the seawall along the shores of West Vancouver, B.C., on April 9 in hopes of seeing Little Patch, and arrived to find the whale so close to shore she could hear it breathing as it surfaced.

“It’s hard to describe the excitement of seeing a whale that close. It feels a little bit like being a kid at Christmas,” the North Vancouver resident said.

Siebrits said she immediately called her parents to meet her at the seawall, and the family sat for hours watching the whale as the sun set, surrounded by crowds of people doing the same.

“Everyone was just so captivated and mesmerized by him, you know, …