Man pictured 'texting' as whale bursts through water

The picture was described as a 'sign of the times'. Credit: Eric J Smith 2015

A photographer in the United States captured a man appearing to text on his mobile phone the moment a whale broke through the water right next to him.

The picture was posted on Instagram by Eric Smith with the caption "A sign of the times".

Smith - a director and graphic designer - had been capturing the creatures off Redondo Beach in California, and only noticed the man texting after capturing more than 200 shots, a spokesperson said.

"He never looked up to see the whale, sadly," the spokesperson added.