Two enormous sea creatures burst from ocean in front of California boaters. See it

Two humpback whales breach together from the ocean off Southern California as spellbound boaters gasp in awe, a video shows.

“The coolest thing you will ever see,” the Dana Wharf Whale Watch said in a Facebook post on Nov. 26. “Whale watching doesn’t get any better than this.”

The video shows the two humpback whales, which can reach weights of up to 40 tons, soaring from the ocean before splashing back down.

“That was cool, huh?” says someone on a loudspeaker as whale watchers cry out in amazement.

Breaching is a common behavior among whales, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

“A breach is when a whale propels its body out of the water,” the agency said.

The whale may spin in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, or may not spin and land on its back or side, the agency said.

“There may be an element of ‘fun’ to the behavior, it could be to knock off parasites or hitchhikers on the whale’s body, or the main reason we believe, is communication,” Discovery Whale Watch of Monterey, California, said.

Humpback whales can reach up to 60 feet in length and live up to 90 years, the NOAA said. They feed on shrimp-like crustaceans called krill and small fish.

Dana Point is about a 60-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles.

This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Two enormous sea creatures burst from ocean in front of California boaters. See it."