National

Mom and baby whale put on ‘synchronized swimming’ show for tourists in CA. See photos

The humpback mother-calf duo was spotted in Monterey Bay in California.
The humpback mother-calf duo was spotted in Monterey Bay in California. Photo by Brynn Pedrick on Unsplash

A momma humpback whale and her calf put on a show for a boat of tourists in California.

The Monterey Bay Whale Watch tour boat was on the water Aug. 12 when passengers spotted the duo, according to a Facebook post.

Photos show the mom and her baby jumping from the water in near-perfect unison.

The mom and her calf jumped from the water at the same time.
The mom and her calf jumped from the water at the same time. Monterey Bay Whale Watch / Daniel Bianchetta

“Synchronized swimming!” one person commented on the tour agency’s Facebook post.

“Totally amazing,” another commenter wrote.

Experts said the calf was born sometime between Dec. and March.
Experts said the calf was born sometime between Dec. and March. Monterey Bay Whale Watch / Daniel Bianchetta

The duo breached together about two times, the agency told McClatchy News. Experts think the baby was born sometime between December and March.

Experts say whales breach for a variety of reasons.

“There are many theories to explain why whales breach and many are likely true such as for communication with other whales in the area, to aid in digestion, to stretch growing muscles as a calf, to knock off barnacles and lice, and perhaps just for fun,” the agency wrote in a Facebook comment.

Read Next
Read Next
Read Next

This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Mom and baby whale put on ‘synchronized swimming’ show for tourists in CA. See photos."

Moira Ritter
mcclatchy-newsroom
Moira Ritter covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied government, journalism and German. Previously, she reported for CNN Business.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER