A rare mid-July sighting of a gray whale surprised and delighted our passengers and crew this morning.
It is highly unusual to see a gray whale migrating off Southern California during the summer. Typically the gray whale migration begins in late November and lasts through mid-May.
Normally if you see such an out-of-season gray whale it looks pretty lethargic, but it was a pleasant surprise to see this whale so relatively healthy.
Our recent sightings have included animals more commonly seen in July such as blue whales, the largest known animal on earth, minke whales, multiple species of dolphins, including the famous bottlenose known as Patches, mako sharks, sunfish, and more.
The whale was initially spotted by Dana Wharf Whale Watching off Monarch Point heading north.
Gray whales migrate annually from their feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas to the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. There they mate and give birth to their calves, before making the return journey back north again. It’s a 10,000 to 12,000 mile journey and is one of the longest migrations of any mammal.
There are several possible explanations for this odd gray whale sighting. The whale could be one of about 200 gray whales that spend the summer feeding off the coast of Oregon instead of migrating all the back to the arctic. Or, it may be a whale that was lost or confused and is now heading in the right direction. It could even be just one of the last gray whales to leave the lagoons in Mexico.
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🐳 Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers five-star, eco-friendly, Dana Point dolphin & whale watching experiences with award-winning customer service.
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Dolphin and whale footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
📷 Video filmed by Matt Stumpf
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