Grey whale spotted off Balboa Peninsula A...

Grey whale spotted off Balboa Peninsula

A California gray whale spent the afternoon off Balboa Peninsula

at West Balboa Boulevard and G Street on Sunday.

The whale was first spotted at about 3 p.m. By nightfall, the

whale was still attracting spectators, mostly locals in small crowds

of five to 10 people, Lifeguard Josh Vanegmond said.

In no hurry to leave, the whale appeared to be relaxing and having

fun, he said.

Whales can stay in one place for two to three days, so people may

still be able to spot it in the morning, he said.

While Vanegmond was only able to spot the whale through binoculars

from his lookout point two and a half miles away, colleagues who saw

the whale up close guessed the whale to be a male because of its

large size, he said.

It was within arms throw of the beach, in about 5 to 6 feet of

water, Vanegmond said.