Sea creature with ‘traumatic past’ spotted off California coast. See it feed

A “well known” sea creature with a “traumatic past” was spotted feeding off the coast of California.

On June 29, Fingers, a humpback whale “that has overcome” a vessel strike was seen “strongly” feeding on anchovies with a group of 40 to 50 other whales, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

Fingers was hit by a boat sometime between their first sighting in 2006 and 2017, leaving them with “dramatic” scars along their tail, even causing them to lose part of their fluke, the group said.

The “resilient” Fingers got their name after the “healed cut edge of the left fluke from the ship propeller” resembled fingers, the group said.

Although the group said it’s “incredible” to see how well Fingers is doing, whales “should not have to experience these unfortunate ship strikes.”

In addition to vessel strikes, humpback whales face threats including fishing gear entanglement and ocean noise, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Facebook users ran to the comments to share their thoughts on Fingers with one person saying, “Great photos!”

“Wow!!,” another wrote.

Monterey is about a 120-mile drive south from San Francisco.

This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Sea creature with ‘traumatic past’ spotted off California coast. See it feed."