The whale watching tour was surprised by what organizers called a “once in a lifetime” shark sighting on a Friday afternoon off the coast of Newport Beach.
According to Davy’s rocker whale watching, a rare spot occurred when the captain pointed out the group towards what he initially thought was an elephant seal.
But as he approached a little, the captain realized that it was not a seal.
There, with about 715 feet of water and about three miles from the coast, this lucky group discovered a giant bathing shark, the second largest shark species in the world.
“Oh, he’s doing a filter feed!” The captain could be heard screaming in video footage from the boat. “This is definitely nuts, everyone.”
Jessica Rodriguez, education manager at Davey’s rocker watching, told KTLA that the sharks are a rare sight in Southern California, and Friday’s encounter was a thrilling moment for the captain, crew and passengers.
“They usually grow to 25-30 feet in length, but some individuals are recorded at over 40 feet,” explained Rodriguez. “Despite their large size, they are gentle filter feeders and consume mainly plankton.”
In the video recorded onboard, the bathed shark seemed to be doing just that.
“These mild giants are usually found in cool waters, rarely found in waters off the coast of California, raising curiosity about why they are away from the Newport Beach coast today,” Rodriguez said.
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