Forty sea creatures seen competing for mates in California bay. See ‘amazing’ photos
.jpg "Forty sea creatures were seen competing for mates in California.")
A group of onlookers saw around forty sea creatures competing for mates in a California bay.
On Nov. 29, watchers saw a group of 35 to 40 humpback whales exhibiting some “very interesting behaviors,” according to a Facebook post by Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
During this time of year, the humpbacks start their migration and begin to “compete” for mates by enticing the females with the goal of escorting them to the breeding grounds, the post said.
Onlookers saw the whales lobbing their tails, surfacing fast and breaching to “show off for the female,” the company said.
Humpback whales reach sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 10-years-old, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Calves stay near their mom for up to a year before weaning, with the mother being “protective” and “swimming closely and often touching them with their flippers,” according to the NOAA.
The company urges folks to come and see the “amazing” humpback whales before they start migrating south.
Monterey is about a 120-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.
This story was originally published December 2, 2024 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Forty sea creatures seen competing for mates in California bay. See ‘amazing’ photos."