Massive sea creature spotted off the coast of California. See the ‘gentle giant’

A massive sea creature was spotted off the coast of California, leaving onlookers “excited.”

On June 8, a group of boaters got the chance to encounter a blue whale — on World Oceans Day of all days, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

The encounter started when crew members spotted a ”larger spout and saw a glimpse of its back,” the company said.

They weren’t sure if it was a humpback whale, but after seeing its body was more gray and blue, it was determined to be a blue whale, the group said.

Blue whales can weigh up to 330,000 pounds and grow to 110 feet long, making their length about the same as the height of a 10-story building, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They can live up to 90 years, though there was one that famously lived to be 110 years old, according to the nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

Although the group anticipates more sightings of these “gentle giants” /going forward this season, their activity depends on how much krill is in the water, the group said. Blue whales are typically seen feeding in Monterey Bay between June and October, according to the whale watchers.

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

This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 2:30 PM with the headline "Massive sea creature spotted off the coast of California. See the ‘gentle giant’."