A whale watching tour was surprised with what organizers called a “once-in-a-lifetime” shark sighting on Friday afternoon off the coast of Newport Beach.
According to Davey’s Locker Whale Watching, the rare spotting happened when a captain pointed the group toward what he initially thought might’ve been an elephant seal.
Upon getting a little bit closer, however, the captain realized that it was no seal.
There, in about 715 feet of water and roughly three miles from shore, this lucky group spotted a giant basking shark – the second largest shark species in the world.
“Oh my gosh, he’s filter-feeding!” the captain was heard exclaiming in video footage from the boat. “This is absolutely nuts you guys.”
Jessica Rodriguez, the education manager for Davey’s Locker Whale Watching, told KTLA that basking sharks are an uncommon sight in Southern California – making Friday’s encounter a thrilling moment for the captains, crew and passengers onboard.
“They typically grow to 25-30 feet in length, though some individuals have been recorded at over 40 feet long,” explained Rodriguez. “Despite their massive size, they are gentle filter feeders, primarily consuming plankton.”
In the videos recorded onboard, this basking shark seemed to be doing just that – feeding with its mouth wide open.
“These gentle giants are typically found in cooler waters, and are rarely spotted in waters off California,” said Rodriguez. “Raising curiosity about why they were off the coast today in Newport Beach.”
