For the last two months, Orange County waters have served as Southern California’s own humpback hangout. The whales have been following massive schools of anchovies, a typical food source. They first appeared on Sept. 25.
Shortly after noon Sunday, the waters eight miles off the coast of Newport Beach were broken by an unusual, if not majestic, sight. A several-ton humpback whale broke through the surface and leaped into the sky, like a Pacific Life insurance commercial, scattering adjacent seabirds while opening its massive mouth to consume anchovies near the surface. Wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau captured the moment via a drone, something that has become more common in the last few weeks.
While it’s normal to see humpbacks in Monterey Bay or Hawai’i, Southern California is more of a transitory point for the whales en route to Mexico or even Costa Rica, according to Girardeau. “You know how we travel to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta for vacation,” Girardeau said. “Well, they do the same except as part of their breeding patterns.” Newport Coastal runs a sighting log that has tracked the first appearance of humpback whales, starting Sept. 25.
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