A frolicking juvenile humpback repeatedly breached from waters among the coves off South Laguna, drawing cheers not only from passengers aboard whale-watching vessels but also from residents in homes along the steep hills overlooking the shoreline.
Also spotted were fin whales, minke whales and dolphins on Sunday, April 21 – a display that couldn’t have been better choreographed to celebrate Earth Day, several people commented.
For a week now, whale watch charters out of the Dana Point Harbor have cheered the bountiful amount of sea life passengers have spotted.
“Our ocean is alive with so much wildlife,” said Donna Kalez, who operates Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching. “As Earth Day approaches, we are reminded of the significance of a clean ocean and protecting its diverse marine life.”
Kalez said captains and naturalists aboard her charter boats have recorded 80 fin whale sightings and multiple humpbacks, minke, and gray whales accompanied by their calves in the last week. Nearly every day, she said, they’ve also seen at least one humpback whale breaching from the water.
“This year’s (Earthy Day) theme, ‘Planet versus Plastics,’ emphasizes the importance of combatting plastic pollution,” she said, adding that people can help out by using reusable water bottles and minimizing using single-use plastics. “It’s crucial to ensure that trash does not end up in the water. And, avoiding the release of balloons is essential as they often find their way into the ocean or in the waterways.”
Laguna Beach is at the forefront of preventing both from reaching the ocean with a ban on balloon purchases and use in public places and a ban on single-use plastics.
Also, the city’s coastline is mostly a Marine Protected Area, meaning fishing or taking anything from the tidepools is prohibited. The 10-year-plus closure has helped the fish population rebound and has made the cliff-protected lagoons a popular spot for whales to feed and also bring their calves.
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On Sunday, Capt. Danilo Sansalone was aboard the newest boat in the Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari fleet, the Hoku Nai’a, a 65-foot catamaran, and was leading a special Earth Day cruise for the nonprofit Dolphin Project, when he got word from two Dana Wharf charters about the leaping juvenile humpback and the others whales hanging out off South Laguna between Thousand Steps Beach and Mission Hospital Laguna Beach.
“It kept jumping in the same location and it looked like there was a lot of food there,” he said. “It was a really healthy whale, a juvenile.”
Sansalone said he and the other boat captains kept their distance as the whale moved back and forth, leaping from the water at least 10 times.
“Everybody was yelling and screaming and having a good time.” he said of the passengers aboard the boats.
On the hillside, too, there were screams and shouts from residents overlooking the beach watching the display from their decks.
“I have been to Laguna many times and have even been on a couple whale-watching tours, but never have I experienced what I did today,” said Kimberly Munoz, who was in town for her brother, Laguna Beach artist Chris Richter’s gallery showing. “It was a spectacular sight seeing the whales splash in the sea. Such a treat for this Texas girl.”
For another neighbor, the sight made Earth Day even more important.
“This is the best Earth Day I’ve ever experienced,” said Lisa Yamasaki, who was feverishly taking photos from her deck. “Every time one of the whales jumped out of the water, you could hear people on the boats and along the hill gasping and cheering and then a beat later, you felt and heard the slap as its body or tail slammed into the water.”
