Bonkers compilation of some of the most spectacular ETP orca predation events we’ve witnessed with @gonewhalewatching in recent years for World Orca Day! For me personally these are some of my favorite ocean memories because these were rare moments I got to witness the action with my naked eyes: not through a camera lens or drone screen! We are very lucky @erica.sackrison is so good with a camera! P.s. Orca and “killer whale” are used interchangeably and fully embraced in the scientific community. It’s 2025, I promise you calling them killer whales is okay! These dolphins would certainly agree!

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1天前

There will never be a moment when I take blue whale sightings for granted… If you went solely by the remarkable success we’ve had encountering blue whales with @gonewhalewatching in San Diego the last 5-6 summers, you’d think I might be relatively used to encountering blue whales. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The blue whale is the reason I fell in love with whale watching, and I cherish each and every sighting. In the summer of 2017 I was working my first ever job on a whale watching boat in Orange County. Going into that summer I knew that blue whale sightings hadn’t been great in that area the past couple of years, and I probably encountered blues less than a dozen times that summer. I remember seeing posts from San Diego documenting blue whale sightings a couple of times per week that summer(which ironically is where i lived) and being sooo jealous. From 2018 onwards I worked in San Diego, and each year I was amazed at the remarkable consistency of blue whale encounters during the summer, especially for faster boats like the ones we use with @gonewhalewatching that were capable of covering more ground. I’d be lying to you however, if I didn’t admit feeling anxiety each summer hoping to never experience such a slow summer for sightings like I did in Orange County in 2017. Welp, 2025 has been the first time I’ve really experienced a “slow” blue whale summer in San Diego. I put slow in quotations because the word is truly relative. Since May, we’ve encountered blue whales on our tours 19 different days this summer. Down substantially from the last 3 years when sightings were almost daily May through early August. When compared to the rest of California however, San Diego has been far and away the best place to have a chance to see blue whales this summer up to this point, as no other whale watching destination in the state has cracked double digit days of sightings, and most are in the low single-digits. Continued in comments:

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4天前

Mrs. Blue Whale you have my dog Fin’s attention! What a day this was from last July. Every blue whale summer is different off San Diego, and while June is usually the most reliable month to see them, the season often has various peaks and valleys throughout the summer. During this stretch in mid-July, we found an area 60 miles from Mission Bay where over a 100 blue whales all feeding within 4-5 miles of each other! When the weather would allow us to reach this spot, it was nothing short of magical. On this especially calm day, Fin came along for the ride to spend time with his favorite animals. We drifted with our motors off to take in the amazing sights and sounds of the largest animal to ever live. While this large(and skinny) female blue whale is the animal you see in the video, if you listen closely you can hear the spouts of the numerous other whales that happened to be surfacing nearby! This particular whale had a calf with her. Mother blue whales tend to be pretty skinny when we see them, as they have to provide not only for themselves, but for their offspring as well. Luckily there was a lot of krill in this area, so hopefully she was able to fatten herself back up!

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28天前

A World of Whales! That’s the title to my latest long-form project: an hour and fifteen cinematic experience of pure ocean ambience featuring blue, fin, humpback, minke, and gray whales alongside orcas and common dolphins. This compilation blends soothing ambient music, natural ocean sounds, and features numerous uninterrupted one-shots that invite you to feel like you’re truly out at sea! Whether you’re meditating, studying, doing laundry, or winding down for the night, let the gentle rhythm of the Pacific and the presence of these amazing animals calm your mind. This is certainly a new type of project for me, so please head over to my YouTube to check it out and leave a comment letting me know what you think!

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06-15

5,000 dolphins all taking off at top speed in a stampede! In my opinion this is one of the greatest spectacles in nature! Viewed aboard @gonewhalewatching

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06-07

“I’m against gay sex because it isn’t part of nature.” “It’s not natural”… I guess these 60,000 pound gray whales are out here rubbing their slinky sea snakes all over each other for the camera just to make a buck selling it on OnlyFins™️…Certainly couldn’t be a totally normal thing that’s part of nature right!? Jokes aside, homosexual behavior is a well-documented and natural part of the animal kingdom. Scientists have observed same-sex pairings, courtship, mating, and long-term bonds in over 1,500 species, including whales, dolphins, penguins, bonobos, giraffes, and lions. These behaviors aren’t just random, rather they often serve social, emotional, and even survival-related purposes within species. In the case of these Gray Whales, same-sex interactions are particularly common. Male gray whales have been seen engaging in mutual sexual behaviors that appear to strengthen social bonds or perhaps establish dominance. They also seem to just be doing it…for fun. In other words: homosexuality isn’t just natural, it’s a very real part of daily life in the ocean. Happy Pride Month! 🐋🌈

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06-02

Giants in San Diego! Blue Whale season has officially arrived in San Diego! Today was our first ever Blue Whale Extended Tour aboard the Hana Hou, and we had so many amazing looks at the largest animal to ever live! The drone view really allows you to get a sense for just how massive these animals really are! We’ve got a beautiful weekend ahead, so grab a spot on any of our trips for an excellent chance to see a real life giant! Viewed today aboard @gonewhalewatching with our amazing crew including @saltheetai, @jess_whales, and @erica.sackrison!

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05-30

Probably one of my favorite breach shots I’ve ever taken! With the Humpback activity continuing to be incredibly strong this spring in San Diego with @gonewhalewatching, I wanted to reshare this clip from a couple of years ago! Our focus is definitely about to switch primarily to Blue Whales, but these Humpbacks are really vying for our attention! We have space available all week! www.gonewhalewatching.com

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05-27

Blue Whale charging full speed ahead! What an amazing day it was with @gonewhalewatching! Erica and I were out on the scouting boat today and found at least ten Blue Whales, most of which were in range of our 2.5 hour trips! To that point, Captain Michael on the Hana Hou spent time with 3 Blue Whales, as well as a Fin Whale on the 11am trip today! The weather this week is looking top tier, and the Blue Whales are arriving in San Diego! While nothing can ever be guaranteed with wild animals, this would be an excellent week to come out with us to search for the largest animal on earth! For tickets visit: www.gonewhalewatching.com

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05-20