As if on cue, a pair of blue whales fluked for thrilled passengers aboard the Christopher out of Long Beach Wednesday as the charter boat neared Huntington Beach oil rigs.
The blue whales—the largest creatures on earth at an average 70-90 feet long—are some of the first to be spotted in months this year in Southern California, reported waterfront blogger Philip Friedman. The immense creatures were spotted about noon by passengers on board the Christopher out of Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach.
Captain Carl Mayhugh reported that the whales at least twice fluked as they made their way around the rigs.
"There have been numerous reports of an abundance of krill in Southern California waters recently which is a favorite food source of the might blue whale," Friedman blogged at Phil Friedman Outdoors. "While this may be a tad early for the leviathans to arrive in sunny California, the presence of vast quantities of krill may ... attract the giants but may [also] make them less likely to leave."
Blue whales are so large they often defy imagining how big that is, unless seen full length somewhere, a remote chance. So Wikipedia breaks it down this way: picture creatures three school buses long, with hearts the size of a Volkswagen and a tongues that weigh as much as an elephant. Adult blue whales weigh between 200-300,000 pounds, according to Friedman.
To read more of his report, click here.
