The hope for anyone on a whale-watching tour is that the stars align and they get to see a breaching mammal up close.
But the birth of a whale?
That’s what the patrons aboard one of Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari tour boats witnessed off Dana Point, California.
Even better, tour leader Capt. Tom Southern offered play-by-play commentary — and the story of a lifetime.
Southern said he came upon a pod of around 40 false killer whales when one whale came up alongside and pushed against the boat. There was a burst of blood, and a newborn suddenly was in the water.
He said members of the pod assisted with the delivery, explaining, “the whole group huddled around the calf, and they spent the next 10 to 12 minutes taking turns pushing the calf to the surface while the newborn learned how to swim.”
Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers year-round, dolphin- and whale-watching trips from Dana Point aboard a catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
