A playful juvenile humpback whale repeatedly leaped out of the waters of a bay near South Laguna, drawing cheers not only from passengers on whale-watching boats but also from residents on the steep hills overlooking the coastline.
Fin whales, minke whales and dolphins were also spotted on Sunday, April 21, in an elaborate display to celebrate Earth Day, some commented.
For a week, whale-watching charters out of Dana Point Harbor have been cheering for passengers on the abundance of marine life they’ve spotted.
“Our oceans are teeming with wildlife,” said Dana Kalez, a sport fishing and whale watching operator at Dana Pier. “As Earth Day approaches, we are reminded of the importance of cleaning our oceans and protecting their diverse marine life.”
Calez said captains and naturalists on her charter boats recorded 80 fin whale sightings in the last week, as well as sightings of multiple humpback, minke and gray whales and their calves. Almost every day, she said, they see at least one humpback whale breaching the water.
“This year’s (Earth Day) theme is ‘Planet and Plastic’, which highlights the importance of fighting plastic pollution,” she said, adding that people can do so by using reusable water bottles and minimizing the use of single-use plastics. provide help. “It is vital to ensure that rubbish does not enter the water. Also, it is vital to avoid balloon releases as they often end up in the ocean or waterways.
Laguna Beach is leading the way in preventing balloons from entering the ocean, banning the purchase and use of balloons in public places and banning single-use plastics.
Additionally, much of the city’s coastline is a marine reserve, which means fishing or taking anything from the tide pools is prohibited. More than a decade of closures has helped fish populations rebound and made the cliff-protected lagoon a popular spot for whales to feed and carry their calves.
On Sunday, Captain Danilo Sansalone aboard Hoku Nai’a, the newest 65-foot catamaran in Captain Dave’s dolphin and whale watching safari fleet, and sailed for The nonprofit Dolphin Project led a special Earth Day parade. While wandering around the South Laguna neighborhood between Laguna Beach and Mission Hospital.
“It kept jumping in the same spot and it looked like there was a lot of food there,” he said. “This is a very healthy calf.”
Sansarone said he and the other captains kept their distance as the whale moved back and forth, leaping through the water at least 10 times.
“Everyone was yelling and having a great time,” he said of the ship’s passengers.
On the hillside overlooking the beach, residents also watched the show from their decks, letting out screams and hollers.
“I’ve been to Laguna many times and even been on a few whale watching tours, but I had never experienced what I did today,” Kimberly Munoz said. “It was such a spectacular sight to see whales playing in the ocean. It was so great for this Texas girl.
For another neighbor, the sight made Earth Day even more important.
“This is the best Earth Day I’ve ever experienced,” said Lisa Yamasaki, who was feverishly taking photos on the deck. “Every time one of the whales leaps out of the water, you hear the gasps and cheers from the people on the boat and on the mountain, and then a beat later you feel and hear the sound of its body or tail slamming into the water. Slapping sound.
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