Rare whales hang out off Newport

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- Rare gargantuan visitors were seen swimming off the

coast Wednesday afternoon.

The finback whale -- an endangered species and second in size only to

the blue whale -- was spotted about three to four miles south of Newport

Beach by a boat full of eager whale watchers.

Just when they thought they saw one, three others surfaced, said Rob

Ellingboe, captain of the Nautilus and tour leader at Newport Landing,

Fishing and Whale Watching in the Balboa Fun Zone.

“Each of these whales were about 70 feet long,” he said. “It’s

extremely rare to see four of these at one time.”

Ellingboe said the whales have been hanging around near Newport Beach

for about two weeks now.

“I think they go up and down the coast from Dana Point to Huntington

Beach,” he said. “We’re right in the middle. So we get lucky and spot

them when they’re around.”

The gray whale-watching season is nearing its peak now. That season

usually begins the day after Christmas and lasts till the first week of

April.

It is common to spot gray whales and dolphins during this period off

Newport Beach, Ellingboe said.

“The last time we spotted a finback whale was last summer,” he said.

An interesting species, the average finback reaches 70 feet in length

and weighs about 70 tons. It shares with the blue whale the distinction

of having the deepest voice on earth.

Its body is dark blue-gray above and whitish-yellow below. It has a

pointed head and a prominent back and dorsal fin that is easy to spot.

Finback whales live in all oceans of the world, but they are mostly

found offshore and tend to be nomadic. They usually favor high latitudes

and cold currents because of food availability.

Cruising at an average speed of 14 mph, the finback is also one of the

fastest of the large whales.

There are times, however, even during the peak season, that whale

watchers return to shore disappointed, Ellingboe said.

“But the middle of this month to March is a good time for sightings,”

he said.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .