Kayaker Paddles & Swims With Blue Whale Near Redondo Beach

During a recent kayak excursion off the coast of Redondo Beach, a kayaker was greeted by a rather large ocean creature - a blue whale. The whale surfaces amazingly close to the kayaker, who described the encounter as "heart pounding" on his YouTube page. Intrigued (and seemingly experienced), the man proceeds to take a "relaxing and peaceful" dip with the whale.

The mammal was lunge feeding and made for an "awesome day!!!" wrote the kayaker. He noted safety tips when encountering blue whales on his page. "I’d like to take a moment to state that I don’t recommend, endorse or in any way want to encourage anyone to try and swim with these whales. The whales are large unpredictable animals and potentially dangerous." He also directed viewers and readers to the whalewatching portion of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website.

Blue whales have been especially friendly in recent months. A pod of the mammals, the largest in existence, entertained sightseers in September while swimming in the same waters off the Redondo Beach coast. The ocean giants have come within a mile of the mouth of King Harbor in Redondo Beach.