Community Corner
Playful Minke Whale Caught on Video
A gregarious minke whale says hello to a couple of fishermen in the Santa Monica Bay.
Last May, Jeff Chi and friends were rock fishing about eight miles from Marina del Rey when a curious minke whale surfaced next to his boat, the Basshole. In the Youtube video, you can see how playful this leviathan was as it kept coming back for more attention and human interaction.
Chi said it was an amazing experience and one he will never forget. He did also mention how terrible the playful whale smelled.
Danny Salas from Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach says he sees how the sight of a whale can affect a person all the time.
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"When people meet these whales up close and personal, it changes them," he said.
Jimmy Bass from Tradition Sportfishing recently had a similar experience.
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"We had a minke whale about 25 feet or so touch our guard rail on the boat while we were sculpin fishing off El Segundo," Bass said. "It was a very cool experience."
The video shows the whale coming back to the boat time and time again, spy hopping and looking for attention.
Minke whales are targeted by the Japanese whaling industry. Last year, the Japanese ended their season early due in large part to Paul Watson (star of Animal Planet's reality television series Whale Wars) and his constant harassment.
