A gray whale was born in front of a group of tourists in California, USA

A group of tourists was sailing the ocean south of Los Angeles, United States, when they came across a trail of blood in the water. This, according to experts, is not usually a good sign, as it can sometimes indicate the presence of predators. However, upon closer inspection, it turned out that it was a gray whale giving birth off the coast of Dana Point.

The cetacean was between 12 and 15 meters long, and was sighted by the group while floating on its back. That is why the tourists thought at first that it had been injured by an orca or shark when, unexpectedly, the whale recovered its regular position and a small calf, a calf, emerged and began to swim next to it.

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This scene is quite rare in that area of ​​the United States, as gray whales are known to give birth in the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. They offer protection against the main predators that stalk cetaceans, and their warm waters are perfect for their young to finish forming the thick layer that protects them against the cold.

This corroborated it Gary Brighouse, captain of the boat operated by the tour company Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari (DWWS), who commented that it was the first time that his crew had witnessed the birth of a gray whale.

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In the video you can see how the brown calf He approaches his mother and swims resting his small body on her. Her mother, more bluish in color, approaches to the tourists’ yacht and swim under it without fear.

Gray whale calves are about 4.5 meters long and their weight increases by more than 22 kilograms every day. Their diet is basically made up of breast milk, and that is why mothers can lose 30% of their body weight when nursing their calves.

The current range of the gray whale is limited to the eastern part of the North Pacific Ocean. In ancient times there was another population in the western North Pacific, but it is now extinct. Some historical documents and skeletal remains also show that gray whales once lived in the North Atlantic Ocean.

For their part, the crew of Capt. Daves Whale Watching wished the calf a “happy birthday” after her birth. “This calf has probably grown a lot in the last week and has gained more than 50 pounds a day,” the team said on January 9.