A lucky group of whale watchers were “mugged” by five blue whales, including a momma and baby who put on a show off the Orange County coast.
A whale watching crew in a fast raft boat spotted the giant blue whales on the way to Catalina Island on June 18, Newport Landing Whale Watching and Davey’s Locker Education Programs Manager Jessica Roame stated in a news release.
Video shared with KTLA by Delaney Trowbridge @Seataceans and Erica Page @PlanetWhale showed a cow and calf became curious with the crew’s boat and its passengers.
“We call this behavior ‘mugging’ because our engines are in neutral and the whales curiously circle the boat, and can become playful,” Roame said.
Video showed the pair rising to the surface and spouting near the boat on several occasions.
Blue whales are the largest animal to have ever lived on the planet, according to the news release.
The whales can grow to over 80 feet long and weigh more than 360,000 pounds.
