They are one of the largest and fastest marine mammals on Earth — but one fin whale on a recent day decided to stop and check out passengers aboard a boat off Dana Point.
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The up-close encounter reported by Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari was one of several hundred sightings in recent months of the sleek sea creature that can reach 85 feet in length.
The charter company also reported more than 400 fin whale encounters so far this year — more than usual, and a hopeful sign for the remainder of their typical season, which has just started.
It’s “unprecedented” to have this many fin whale sightings by early May, said Gisele Anderson, co-president of Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari, in a press release.
Fin whales are the fastest baleen whale in the world, an endangered species that can weigh between 40 and 80 tons.
“So having so many here is such a treat,” she said. “Not sure how long they’ll stay, but for now, they’re here.”
Fin whales have been dubbed “greyhounds of the sea” because of their speed. They are the second-largest species in the world, just smaller than the blue whale, which can also be seen in summer months off the Southern California coast.
Their most defining feature is asymmetrical head pigmentation: the right lower jaw is white or light gray, while the left is dark gray.
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“Fin whales are so beautiful and majestic,” said Captain Matt Stumpf, noting that they are the size of multiple school buses.
Fin whales, like other large marine life drawn to the area, feast on krill and schooling fish.
And like many other large endangered whales, fin whale populations have been heavily impacted by commercial whaling in the mid-1900s.
“While international safeguards have aided their recovery, the species continues to face ongoing threats, including vessel strikes, ocean noise, pollution and entanglement in fishing gear,” said Daves.
During the close encounter last week, on May 5, the fin whale gave a “friendly mugging,” the term used by naturalists to describe moments when whales voluntarily approach vessels.
“We have been so blessed by more than a hundred fin whale sightings in the last month, and they have been so friendly,” Anderson said. “If folks want a close encounter with the second-largest animal to ever live on planet earth, now is their opportunity.”
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