We were watching this Minke whale cruising along when it turned and decided to come check out our passengers! In whale watching, we call this a “mugging!” It’s always a thrill when they choose to approach the boat, perhaps they’re just as curious about us as we are them. For the safety of the whale, we put the boat in neutral and let them dictate the interaction. This individual got a quick peek as it dove under us and continued on its merry way.
With this beautiful Blue Whale hanging out in Long Beach today, here’s hoping for some more late season visits!
It’s feeding time for this pod of common dolphin! 🍽️🐟Dolphins will work together as a pod to push their prey towards the surface, giving birds such as Terns (seen here), easier access to prey that typically would dwell deeper in the water column. Because of this predation tactic, dolphins can often be found by searching for groups of birds at sea.
Offshore bottlenose dolphins are a species we see year-round. They can be incredibly curious and playful, seen here bowriding our vessel and making close passes to inspect our thrilled passengers! This pod even had calves in tow; did you know a mother and baby dolphin are called a cow-calf pair? 🐬
Happy Independence Day from all of us at SoCal Whale Watching! We hope everyone has as much fun today celebrating as these common dolphins do bow riding! 🇺🇸
📸 @inthefronds
Whether you’re shooting with your phone or a camera, there’s no better backdrop than the California coast! ☀️
What’s your favorite species to photograph? Drop your answer in the comments!
Common dolphins are one of our favorite species to see on the water! Their energy seems boundless; as you can see by their incredible acrobatic behavior! Scientists have many theories as to why dolphins may breach; perhaps for exercise, communication, to scratch an itch, or just for fun! Common dolphins also enjoy bow riding, where they can be seen cruising in the pressure wake made by our bow, in addition to surfing the wake behind our vessel.
#dolphins #whales #whalewatching #visitcalifornia #longbeach #thanksbutnotanks #wildandfree #marinemammals
The Blue Whale activity in Long Beach is the best we’ve seen in a long time! We never know how long it will last but right now it is absolutely incredible!
Thankfully some of the guests were smart enough to be taking video during the breaching Fin Whale encounter earlier in the week!
Thank you @lola.rae_xoxo for sharing your clip!
#whalewatching #whalebreach
A majestic Fin Whale crossing the bow! This whale was feeding near the surface this morning.
#whalewatching #whales #losangeles
After braving dense fog this morning we were rewarded with an encounter with the elusive Fog Dolphin! (Aka Common Dolphins swimming in fog).
On the afternoon trip we saw the tiniest baby common dolphin I’ve ever seen!
#whalewatching #dolphins #thingstodoinla
An uncommon sight… Common Dolphins inside the harbor!
#commondolphin #whalewatching #dolphins
Beautiful morning to spend some time with the always charismatic Offshore Bottlenose Dolphins!
Our RIB Cetacea was hired as a chase boat for the F50 Grand Prix in San Francisco! We’re here for the sailing race but of course we managed to spot a Gray Whale here in the bay… 🐳
Thanks @offthegridofficial for the 🎥
An incredible encounter with a curious Gray Whale near Long Beach today!
This individual spent nearly 30 minutes circling the boat, diving underneath and spy hopping just inches away. After rolling on its side to take a long look at the passengers, it apparently decided everyone needed a shower… 🐳 Finally it moved off just enough that I could safely back away.
This is not the type of encounter I seek when out looking for whales, but when they decide to approach, it can happen very quickly and become an unforgettable experience.
#whalewatching #graywhale #marinewildlife #visitlosangeles #visitlongbeach
