Minke Whale Observes People During Amazing Whale Watching Encounter

Over the course of two days recently, an unusually friendly minke whale gave whale watchers aboard our catamaran a memorable whale watching cruise.

Repeatedly the whale, estimated to be around 18 feet in length, came over and swam around and under the boat. Sometimes the curious whale would turn on its side and look up at passengers! The whale was so close that it was visible from the boat's Underwater Viewing Pods. During these close encounters, referred to as "muggings", the boat remained stationary and in neutral.

"To have a minke whale approach our catamaran over and over is very rare," said Captain Dave Anderson. "Minke whales are usually more reserved around boats, although sometimes we see one that is very sociable, as was the case recently."

Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale, with an average size of 25 to 30 feet and a weight of about 10 tons. Minke whales are fast too, reaching speeds of over 20 miles per hour. Minke whales are seen throughout the year off Southern California where they feed on small fish.

Footage filmed by Craig DeWitt and Domenic Biagini

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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.

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