7 days ago
Mama sea creatures spotted off CA coast with babies. See ‘exciting encounter'
A 'sweet family' of sea creatures was spotted off the coast of California, and onlookers are calling it an 'exciting encounter.'
On June 2, watchers got the chance to see a killer whale known as the 'strong matriarch Louise' along with her 'beloved' daughters known as CA140Bs, according to a Facebook post by Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
The mama has done an 'amazing job' raising her babies, and onlookers even got the chance to see the 'new little' additions to the pod, the group said.
Louise's daughter Stinger has her own calves, which makes them a family of six, onlookers said.
The pod was also seen 'zigzagging,' the whale watching group said.
Photos show the orcas swimming among one another, with some shots of what looks like a baby cuddling up to its mama.
The group can be seen coming up for air at the same time.
Although onlookers aren't sure if they were in search of prey or just playing with one another, it was a 'delight' for passengers, the group said.
Near the end of the spotting, the pod was seen swimming at 'high speeds, crashing through the swell,' officials said.
Orcas are highly social ocean predators that live and travel in groups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
'Killer whales rely on underwater sound to feed, communicate, and navigate,' according to NOAA. 'Pod members communicate with each other through clicks, whistles and pulsed calls.'
Along with the tight-knit orca pod, whale watching groups got the chance to see eight humpback whales, 65 Risso's dolphins and five pacific white-sided dolphins, the group said.
Monterey is about a 120-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.
