Baby whale gets up close with Southern California beachgoers

DANA POINT, Calif. – Southern California beachgoers have gotten up close and personal with a baby whale.

A grey whale about 15 to 18 feet long cruised into Dana Point Harbor on Tuesday morning. It swam into a shallow children’s area called Baby Beach and circled a pier.

Kayakers were able to get within a few feet of the animal, which at one point swam under paddleboarders.

Capt. Dave Anderson, who runs whale watching tours out of the harbour, says the whale appeared to be a skinny juvenile who was foraging in the mud.

He says it’s probably the same whale that was spotted Monday farther south in a Carlsbad lagoon.

The whale eventually left the harbour. Anderson says it may be moving up the coast and could find its way to Oregon.