Breaching Whale, 'Hugging' Whales Caught On Video In Dana Point

DANA POINT, CA —It's a long way to migrate from the north down to Mexico. Along that journey, it seems some of our gray whale friends fell in love.

Visitors that went to Catalina Island this week had the chance to see these three whales swim and appear to be "hugging," according to Dana Wharf spokeswoman Dona Kalez. Chances are? That's not all they were doing.

The gray whales seem to enjoy their journey as they hung out between Dana Point and Catalina Island this week. If you've never witnessed a whale in full breach, we have some lovely images to share with you. Dana Wharf Whale Watching naturalist Loriannah Hespe captured this amazing sight this week in Patch's photos of the week.

The gray whale season extends from November into April, according to Visit Dana Point.

"The gray whale makes one of the longest of all mammalian migrations, averaging 10,000 to 14,000 miles through the Pacific Ocean, toward Mexico. On their way, they pass by the Orange County shores of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point. Blue whales arrive and swim our shores from May through November, they say.

This sight of the three whales engaged in a love triangle was just in time for the 50th Anniversary of the Festival of Whales, Kalez says.

The video was taken amid the ultimate 8 Hour Whale Watching trip, with the video filmed by drone pilot Anthony with @DiamondBlockStudios.

"As we approached the south end of Catalina Island, we saw blows ahead," they explained.

At the same time, there were about 30 Risso's dolphins in the area.

"The blows were three northbound gray whales who continued along the backside of the island," according to the drone pilot. "They were rolling, spy hopping, possibly mating, so we are calling it HUGS!!"

The group saw high flukes and all very close to shore.
"On our return, we saw several more pods of common dolphins and one, 1 possibly 2 fin whales," he said. "As we approached the harbor, we saw another gray whale blowing and fluking as we arrived almost 2 hours late."

Earlier this week, naturalist Loriannah Hespe captured the sight of this whale as it skimmed the plane of the Pacific off Dana Point.

Then, it broke through the lens of the surface.

Soaring a moment, gravity takes hold, drawing the mighty leviathan back to earth.

Finally, the whale splashed down back into the water.

The sight was captured on camera in rapid motion.

So, if you're looking out to the horizon, watch for the spouts and splashes of our spring visitors. And if you want to get out to see these creatures up close and personal, Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching would be more than happy to take you out there.

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