WATCH: Rare Whale Gives Birth Off Orange County Coast

DANA POINT, CA - It's whale-watching season in Southern California and a group of whale watchers witnessed Saturday something that hasn't happened off the coast of California for a long time — the birth of a false killer whale.

Passengers aboard Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari saw a sudden burst of blood and then a newborn calf popped out. Before the birth, a pod of the false killer whale with about 40 whales came up to the side of the boat and pushed against it.

The unexpected birth occurred in about 80 feet water, according to a statement by the whale-watching company.

"What a once in a lifetime thing to see! In over 20 years on the water, I have never seen anything like that," Capt. Dave Anderson said in a statement. "And I know of no one who has ever seen a wild (false killer whale) birth."

In the video posted by to the company's YouTube channel, one passenger said witnessing the birth was "absolutely amazing."

"We got to see something that most people will never get to see in their lifetime," another passenger said. "It was just phenomenal."

False killer whales, like killer whales, are part of the dolphin family and are rarely seen off the coast of Southern Calfornia, according to the company. Newborns are less than five feet in length, and when fully grown, the calf will be about 15 to 20 feet long and weigh about 1,500 pounds.