Connecticut's beloved beluga whale, Juno, is going viral — after it photobombed Governor Dannel Malloy during a press conference at the Mystic Aquarium this afternoon.
THIS IS AMAZING! Beluga photobombs governor during press conference. pic.twitter.com/kB6PYghcSv
— Leigh Appleby (@Leigh_Appleby) September 2, 2015
Malloy was making an announcement about state tourism growth. WNPR's Harriet Jones reported some of those numbers from the conference. "A survey of 23 of the state's biggest attractions has shown a 5 percent growth in visitor numbers over this time last year," she wrote. "That compares to a 2 percent growth around the country."
But whatever Malloy was saying was quickly outshadowed by the gentle giant swimming toward the glass. In a matter of hours, Juno's camera-friendly demeanor and need for attention have already received fawning articles from Mashable and Time.
A spokesperson for Malloy's office said that the Governor's administration did not coerce or encourage the whale to ham it up for the camera. "Tourism is important to a lot of people in this state and clearly it's important to the whale," he said.
NBC Connecticut and Time both note that the beluga whale has gone viral in the past. A fan page for Juno has over 1000 "Likes" on Facebook. In 2012, WSHU's Craig LeMoult reported on a video of the whale being serenaded by a mariachi band. That video got over 4 million views.