A whale-watching excursion off the coast of Orange County got an up-and-close visit by a pair of friendly and “extremely curious” minke whales.
The encounter happened Tuesday morning between the whales and a Davey’s Locker Whale Watching tour just miles off the Newport Beach coastline.
Video shared with KTLA showed the normally shy and flighty marine mammals approach the packed boat, circling it several times and surfacing several feet away.
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A Newport Beach whale watching tour had an encounter with two friendly minke whales, something the crew says is exceedingly rare. (Cecilia Mangrum/Davey’s Locker Whale Watching) -
A Newport Beach whale watching tour had an encounter with two friendly minke whales, something the crew says is exceedingly rare. (Cecilia Mangrum/Davey’s Locker Whale Watching) -
A Newport Beach whale watching tour had an encounter with two friendly minke whales, something the crew says is exceedingly rare. (Cecilia Mangrum/Davey’s Locker Whale Watching) -
A Newport Beach whale watching tour had an encounter with two friendly minke whales, something the crew says is exceedingly rare. (Cecilia Mangrum/Davey’s Locker Whale Watching)
According to Jessica Rodriguez, the Education & Communications Manager at Davey’s Locker Whale Watching, encounters like this are exceedingly rare.
“Typically shy and swift, Minke whales are often known as the ‘phantoms’ of the Pacific due to their brief surface time and quick movements,” Rodriguez said. “This encounter was a heartwarming reminder of the deep connection that can occur between humans and marine life when we take the time to observe, respect, and protect our ocean environment.”
Among the passengers to be treated to the rare display of interspecies diplomacy, was a group of students from the local Monte Vista Elementary School.
For more information about tours like this, click here.