Latest news with #SanDiegoWhaleWatch
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Super spunky' sea creatures leap from CA waters. See the ‘beautiful moment'
Boaters got the chance to spot sea creatures off the coast of California, and onlookers are calling the sightings a 'beautiful moment.' Passengers encountered a baby humpback whale after seeing the 'first few blows' from its blowhole, causing the boat's captain to head in that direction, according to a July 9 Facebook post by the San Diego Whale Watch. The 'humpie' encounter was accompanied by a sunset, as the baby showed off its 'flukes for a sounding dive a few times,' giving passengers a 'gorgeous fluke waterfall,' the group said. After the 'humpie' show ended, the boat's captain saw a glimpse of dolphins, and as the group made its way over, it came across 200 'super spunky short-beaked common dolphins,' onlookers said. Short-beaked dolphins range between 6 feet and 8 feet long and usually weigh around 170 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They tend to live in large groups and are very social, leaping out of the water at high speeds and somersaulting in the air, the NOAA said. The passengers even got the opportunity to see baby dolphins tail-slap, making for a great show for the 'guests on board,' onlookers said.
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Sea creatures spotted in massive feast off California coast. See the ‘epic trip'
Boaters off the coast of California got the chance to witness a massive feeding frenzy among sea creatures. On July 5, during an 'epic trip,' boaters got the chance to see a humpback whale and 150 common dolphins 'feasting together,' according to a Facebook post by San Diego Whale Watch. The group spent two hours with the hungry creatures as they ate 'so many different kinds of fish,' the post said. After taking a peek at what the birds were munching on, they learned what was on the day's menu – sardines, Spanish mackerel and needlefish, the group said. Some passengers got the lucky chance to see the humpback whale breach in the distance, the group said. Humpbacks usually display this behavior as a means of communicating with other whales as the sound of them slapping their bodies against the water can be 'heard for miles,' according to The Marine Mammal Center. Boaters even got the opportunity to see dolphins play and hunt in the boat's wake – a memory of a 'life time,' the group said.
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Sneaky' sea creature circles boaters off California coast. See the photos
A 'sneaky' sea creature held boaters 'hostage' off the coast of California, and onlookers thought the moment was one they 'can't beat.' During a sunset trip in La Jolla Canyon, a pod of 150 long-beaked common dolphins were showing their babies the skills they need to be 'agile' hunters, according to a June 29 Facebook post by the San Diego Whale Watch. Although the hunting lessons made for a 'real crowd pleaser,' the group was 'surprised by the sneakiest minke whale that popped up seemingly out of nowhere,' onlookers said. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale in North American waters and can reach lengths of up to 35 feet and weigh 20,000 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They usually are spotted alone or in groups of two or three, and use side-lunging as a way of feeding on schools of fish, the NOAA said. The 'oh so curious' whale circled boaters and even swam parallel to the boat before offering bystanders a moment of 'belly flashing,' the group said. They got 'good looks at its full face' as it poked its head out of the ocean, the group said. The whale was up for 'antics' as it kept popping up as boaters tried to head back to the harbor making for the 'coolest' moment, the group said.
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Boaters spot ‘greyhounds of the sea' off CA coast. See the ‘non-stop' action
Boaters got 'lucky enough' to spot a plethora of sea creatures off the coast of California, spotting multiple species in one day. On June 30, boaters encountered 'non-stop' action when, in only 200 feet of water, they saw a minke whale, according to a Facebook post by San Diego Whale Watch. Passengers were on the edge of their seat while the whale was 'cruising in every direction,' the group said. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale in North American waters and can reach lengths of up to 35 feet and weigh 20,000 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The whale kept everyone's attention as it kept surfacing before passengers came across a pod of 400 long-beaked dolphins racing through anchovy bait balls, the group said. Soon after, the group spotted one of the 'greyhounds of the sea' – a fin whale, the group said. Fin whales, able to speed at 29 mph, made for a show before onlookers got a chance to see a baby great white shark, the group said. Fin whales are the second-largest whale species on the planet and have a 'distinctive coloration – black or dark brownish-gray on the back and sides and white on the underside,' according to the NOAA. The magic didn't stop there, as the group later spotted a humpback whale breaching and tail-slapping, the group said. Humpback whales' tails can reach 18 feet wide and have different 'pigmentation patterns, in combination with varying shapes and sizes of whales' flukes and/or prominent scars' that can be used as 'fingerprints' to help identify them, according to the NOAA. The boat's captain had a 'great hunch' and began heading toward La Jolla, the group said. Boaters saw a 'massive splash' and after using their binoculars, spotted a 'very surface-active humpback whale' slapping its tail against the ocean's surface, the group said. Then the ultimate show took place, leaving the group 'squealing with excitement' – the humpback breached three times, slapping its tail, before surfacing only 20 feet away from the boat, the group said. Although the breaches were 'random and unpredictable,' which meant photos of the moment were limited, the group was able to land a 'triple baleen whale species day,' the post said.
Miami Herald
23-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Sea creature has boaters thinking they're in a ‘simulation' off CA coast. See it
Sea creatures off the coast of California made for a moment where boaters thought they were in a 'simulation.' On June 19, onlookers got the chance to see a minke whale and 'watched it surface erratically around the boat' before they got the opportunity to witness 'some EPIC dolphin action,' according to a Facebook post by the San Diego Whale Watch. The long-beaked common dolphins were 'on fire' as they ate 'baitball after baitball' onlookers said. The outing was 'one for the books' as the minke whale returned to boaters and 'hung out' by surfacing around the vessel, the group said. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale in North American waters and can reach lengths of up to 35 feet and weigh 20,000 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They usually are spotted alone or in groups of two or three and use side-lunging as a way of feeding on schools of fish, the NOAA said. As the whale watchers looked for more potential wildlife, they came across a 'playful' pod of long-beaked dolphins along with the 'most gorgeous golden sunset,' the group said. The 'glimmering rays' peeked through the clouds, and 'everything lined up perfectly' making for a 'breathtaking' moment, the group said.
