We all are accustomed to creatures joining us in the lineup from time to time. Seals pop up to play quite a bit. Pelicans cruise by all the time. And dolphins love to snake our waves. And then of course there’s that one animal we’re constantly thinking of, but don’t always talk about, and hopefully encounter even less. And then there are whales. Whales are huge. They’re not as nimble as dolphins. And seeing them anywhere near the surf zone can at least feel like the discovery of an underwater unicorn.
So when Daron Case looked toward the ocean floor while surfing Coronado’s Silver Strand you can imagine the 20 foot gray whale swimming by was an impactful moment. Case snagged his GoPro and aimed it at the whale through one of the coolest close encounters a surfer can have. The video’s landed him in the local news, and even into the hands of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. You’ll notice this whale looks exceptionally skinny for its length. Upon studying the video a representative from the aquarium said in a statement to the local media “We believe the whale is sick mostly due to its thinness. A secondary indicator would be the number of barnacles, which can suggest that the whale is traveling rather slowly.”
Hopefully this whale makes it down south for the winter healthy and safe. In the meantime, we can all say thanks for the good show.
