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Whale Gives Birth Next to California Sightseeing Boat

Whale Gives Birth Next to California Sightseeing Boat
The tail of a humpback whale is seen in the the sea of Manta June 23, 2008. (Enrique Hernandez/Reuters)

By    |   Wednesday, 23 March 2016 10:45 AM EDT

A false killer whale gave birth next to a whale-watching boat on Saturday, offering a spectacular sight off the coast of Dana Point, California.

A pod of female false killer whales “came up right next to the boat and all started pushing at the side,” said Tom Southern, a captain for Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari, according to The Orange County Register.

“Then you see this spurt of blood and you think they got something – but instead you see a baby pop out. He was about 2 1/2 feet-long and his fins were all folded together. He was lying on his side and flopping around like a fish.”

The baby struggled for about 10 minutes, with female dolphins nudging him up to keep him afloat, the newspaper reported.

Southern reported the birth to other boats in the area, who came to take a look.

“I’m so thankful they chose to do it in front of our boat. It’s got to be one of the biggest things that’s ever happened out here,” tour company owner Dave Anderson said, according to The Los Angeles Times. “This birth is one of a kind and I’ve been doing whale watching for 20 years.”

False killer whales are large dolphins that resemble killer whales.

Preferring warmer waters, these animals are rarely seen near the coast of Southern California, Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari said in a news release. They grow to be 15 to 20 feet long and weigh 1,500 pounds. The birth took place in about 80 feet of water.

The tour company posted about the rare experience on Facebook.

 


 


Twitter users were delighted by the rare experience.









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TheWire
A false killer whale gave birth next to a whale-watching boat on Saturday, offering a spectacular sight off the coast of Dana Point, California.
whale, gives, birth
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2016-45-23
Wednesday, 23 March 2016 10:45 AM
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