American professional photographer Eric Smith was taking photographs of a female humpback whale with her baby calf as they swam around the waters off the coast of Redondo Beach in California one afternoon when he saw another man on a boat working intently on his smartphone.

This week, Smith shared an Instagram photo of that same man who was so transfixed with his phone he was oblivious to humpback whales so close to his boat he could touch them or take photos of them with his phone.

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Humpback whales are one the most recognizable whale species and can reach up to 50 feet in length and weigh a massive 48 tons. They're migratory and live and travel in pods consisting of 20,000 whales. They're also known for their complex mating songs, which indicates they're intelligent creatures.

The photo has already received more than 600 likes. The caption Smith wrote read: "A sign of the times". This iconic photograph quickly became viral.

Smith told CBS News he spotted a mom whale with her calf happily flapping, breaching, jumping and eating mouthfuls of fish. It was a truly fantastic sight, he said. Smith also commented on how the man on the boat never moved away from his mobile phone.

Smith admits he's also found himself glued to his smartphone every once in a while. But he told CBS his photo is indicative of how humans have developed some serious social communication issues that need to be addressed and worked through.

In the U.S., more than 80 percent of adults own a smartphone. A recent survey in the U.K. also found that 13 percent of respondents admitted they couldn't go for more than an hour (not counting sleep hours) without checking their smartphone.

Smith concludes by saying that many of us think life is more interesting online or on social media but we often miss out on what's already happening around us.

Excessive smartphone usage not only distracts users from once in a lifetime events, but are also linked to poor sleeping habits in both teenagers and adults. A recent study said mobile devices and tablets can impede socio-emotional development in young children.

TagsMan Busy on Phone Completely Misses Rare Humpback Whale Sighting, humpback whales, california, US, eric smith photographer