Whale Of A Tale For Newport Beach Surfer

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — It was a sight to behold just behind the break in Newport Peninsula early Sunday morning. A lone surfer was on his board, sitting and enjoying the day between Balboa Pier and Newport Beach. Underneath him? A 30-foot long gray whale, who stopped to check him out, the Orange County Register reported.

Photographer Mark Girardeau wasn't sure the surfer ever noticed the leviathan floating about 10 feet below the surface, underneath the surfer.

"I don't think he had a clue," Girardeau said. "I still don't know if he ever saw it."

Gray whales, or baleen whales, filter their food from the water and have no teeth. The surfer was not in jeopardy of being eaten by the whale, he said.

If you were the one surfing in that area, Girardeau had a special gift for you. He told the Register he'd be happy to give him the "once-in-a-lifetime" shots of him and the whale.

The gray whale spun and played offshore for about 30 minutes in the 10-foot deep water, according to witnesses.

Other whale sightings occurred in both Dana Point and Laguna Beach. The best way to see them is out in the water, via a whale watching cruise, such as Capt. Dave's Dolphin Safari or Dana Wharf Whale Watching, experts say.

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