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Video: A Whale Gave Birth In Front Of A Bunch Of Whale Watchers
A group of whale watchers got more than they bargained for when they witnessed a false killer whale give birth alongside their catamaran off the coast of Dana Point.
According to KTLA, a group from Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari was out sailing the high seas on Saturday trying to catch some casual whale watching action when, according to a statement from Captain Dave, "there was a sudden burst of blood and the newborn calf popped out!"
The statement continued, "What a once in a lifetime thing to see! In over twenty years on the water I have never seen anything like that. And I know of no one who has ever seen a wild Pseudorca birth."
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Captain Tom Southern told the O.C. Register, "The females came up right next to the boat and all started pushing at the side. Then you see this spurt of blood and you think they got something - but instead you see a baby pop out," he said. "He was about 2 1/2 feet-long and his fins were all folded together. He was lying on his side and flopping around like a fish."
As ABC-7 notes, it was a pod of about 20 false killer whales that approached the boat initially. While seeing one of the whales give birth like this is extremely rare, it's also unusual that the false killer whales would be spotted this far north to begin with; they're typically seen in more tropical waters. The whales share characteristics to killer whales, but look more like large dolphins.
Mazel to the new mother.
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