When a humpback whale breached the ocean surface off Redondo Beach, California, earlier this week, photographer Eric Smith was quick to snap a photo of the rare sighting.

But what's arguably more interesting about the photo Smith posted to Instagram is the other subject in it: a man sitting aboard a sailboat, just feet away from the whale as it breaks the surface, looking intently at...his smartphone:

A sign of the times.

A photo posted by E. Smith (@esmith_images) on Feb 2, 2015 at 11:03pm PST

"The guy never looked up from his phone throughout the entire breach," Smith commented. "Two women at the front of the boat were taking pictures but he didn't notice."

Smith told CBS News he took five photos of whales that day — and the same boater was glued to his smartphone in all of them.

“We’re all guilty being buried in our phones, even me,” Smith told ABC News. “You think life is better on your phone, but we’re missing what’s happening around us.”

This story has been updated.

(H/T: Huffington Post)

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