It was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
A tour group encountered two whales and a pod of dolphins while riding Sea-Doos from Catalina Island to Long Beach.
“These whales were either curious or playful. I don’t know what, but they did not stop,” said Adam Aranda, the lead guide for Jetski2Catalina. “They came right up to us just feet. It was insane.”
The tour group of 15 guests and three guides were going back to Long Beach when the massive mammals suddenly surfaced, putting on a stunning show.
“They just never stopped,” said Aranda. “We’ve seen breaches before, but they usually stop after a couple. They did not stop. We were alone with these whales, and they breached well over 50 times. It was crazy.”
The group was so close, they could hear the belly flops and at times, almost touched the whales as the animals followed the Sea-Doos for more than a half an hour.
“When you’re on the water level, and you can actually see their eyes, see their teeth, hear the clicking, it’s pretty cool,” said Jetski2Catalina General Manager Marcus Provenzano.
The crew said it may have been a mother and calf. One was close to 30 feet long and the other was about 20 feet long.
At one point, a pod of dolphins also joined the show. It’s a moment the tour group will never forget.
“Magical. Beautiful. It was amazing,” said Aranda.
To learn more about Jetski2Catalina, click here.
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