Three Whales Breach in Unison in 'Epic Whale Ballet' Off Cape Cod — Watch!

For the man who captured the display on video, the moment was the "icing on the cake" of an already memorable birthday fishing trip

A New Hampshire man on a fishing trip off Cape Cod got the birthday present of a lifetime.

Robert Addie was celebrating his birthday when, instead of the tuna he was fishing for, he encountered a unique spectacle — three humpback whales breaching in unison in what he dubbed a "whale ballet."

"A triple breach is unheard of, and a synchronized triple breach is even rarer," the home remodeler told the Associated Press of the July 24 moment, which he captured on video taken from his boat about 300 yards away from the whale wonder.

"It's once in a lifetime," he continued. "Just very fortunate. God shined down on me to allow me to capture that."

Related: Humpback Whale Jumps Out of Water Next to Tour Boat and Waves at Stunned Onlookers

In the video, the trio of whales breach the surface and surge out of the ocean, doing a full rotation in unison before crashing back beneath the surface.

Following the synchronized jump, a "juvenile" whale imitates the same motion, leading Addie to theorize that the older whales were "teaching or training" the younger humpback.

Before he was a home remodeler, Addie was a commercial fisherman in Massachusetts and Alaska for decades, according to AP. He said he encountered thousands of whales — but nothing like the "ballet."

Addie also told the AP that since capturing the epic spectacle, he had been contacted by "whale experts," all of whom were envious that he experienced the triple breach firsthand.

"They're all jealous because they've never seen it," he told the outlet.

He added that whale experts have theorized that the rare encounter may have been an attempt by the humpbacks to remove parasites or aid with their digestion.

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In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Addie said that the ocean adventure was extra special because he was celebrating his 59th birthday and had just come home from a trip "assisting first responders" in Ukraine.

"The video is somewhat symbolic, I believe, as it's the first time in over 10 years that all three of my daughters were together for my birthday celebrations," he said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, adding that he is extra thankful "because I have just recently returned from a humanitarian aid trip in Kherson, Ukraine, under some pretty challenging artillery fire."

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The former fisherman said the trio of humpbacks' synchronized breach felt even more memorable given the rare presence of his "beautiful" daughters, Sage, Cierra, and Neve Addie.

"They were happy to see me and I them," he said, adding that the "synchronized aerial display by the humpback whales was just icing on the cake and quite symbolic."

The Portsmouth man added that there was "lots to celebrate" after the trip assisting first responders in Ukraine, his vacation with his three "kiddos," and the "epic whale ballet" finale.

"It was such an uplifting thing to see," he told AP of the spectacle. "Just incredible."

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