Lucky Sighting: Blue Whale Spotted Off Coast Of Oceanside

OCEANSIDE, CA — Lucky whale watchers aboard an Oceanside Adventures boat were treated to a rare sight ahead of St. Patrick's Day off the coast of San Diego County.

Captain Chris Fairbanks spotted a blue whale March 16 while aboard the company's vessel Nala off the coast of Oceanside, according to Donna Kalez, chief operating officer of Oceanside Adventures. It was the whale watching company's first blue whale sighting of the year and it was captured on video.

"Someone pinch us," Kalez said. "We couldn't be more excited that we were able to see the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth — even bigger than the largest dinosaurs!"

Blue whales can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons. Their heart alone can be the size of a small car, and their tongues can weigh as much as an elephant.

"Whale watching is often a collaboration, and this time, our friend in San Diego saw the blue whale and told us," Kalez told Patch. "We were able to follow the path and see this amazing animal."