Blue Whale Pod Sighted Off South Orange County Shores

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — It's been three months since local whale watchers have spotted the elusive blue whale.

On Tuesday, local charters from Dana Point, the Whale Watching Capital of the World, spotted four blue whales. August is the latest they have ever arrived to the Orange County waters. Since then, blue whales have been spotted daily, as was this one on Thursday, by Dana Point Whale Watching correspondent and photographer Laura Lopez.

"The highlight of the day was another unforgettable encounter with a magnificent Blue Whale," Lopez said. "By noon, the sun was now shining on the calm blue water as we headed offshore. Just over 10 miles directly out from the Dana Point Harbor there was a massive blow just north of us. It belonged to a single Blue Whale, the largest animal to ever live on Earth. Though it didn’t show its fluke, the sighting was truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment for many aboard."

A recent whale watching outing, shared on Facebook, showed the blue whales as they swam by Laguna Beach.

The giant creature was also seen the next day as whale watchers ventured out with hopes of spying the leviathan.

"The blue whales have been putting on a show and we're loving every second of it," Dona Kalez of Dana Wharf Whale Watch said.

A Youtube video shared by Dana Wharf Whale Watching shows the excitement of the naturalists who teach about the behemoth creatures.

"We've never seen them for the first time in the season this late in the summer," Gisele Anderson said.

Once a captain spotted the whales, word got out.

Gisele Anderson took a trip out to see for herself, she told the OC Register.

"We extended all our trips. There's no care if you're running on schedule if the blues are out there!"

To book your own whale watching adventure, visit: www.dolphinsafari.com, danawharf.com, or newportcoastaladventures.com.