‘Super spunky’ sea creatures leap from CA waters. See the ‘beautiful moment’

Boaters got the chance to spot sea creatures off the coast of California, and onlookers are calling the sightings a “beautiful moment.”

Passengers encountered a baby humpback whale after seeing the “first few blows” from its blowhole, causing the boat’s captain to head in that direction, according to a July 9 Facebook post by the San Diego Whale Watch.

The “humpie” encounter was accompanied by a sunset, as the baby showed off its “flukes for a sounding dive a few times,” giving passengers a “gorgeous fluke waterfall,” the group said.

After the “humpie” show ended, the boat’s captain saw a glimpse of dolphins, and as the group made its way over, it came across 200 “super spunky short-beaked common dolphins,” onlookers said.

Short-beaked dolphins range between 6 feet and 8 feet long and usually weigh around 170 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They tend to live in large groups and are very social, leaping out of the water at high speeds and somersaulting in the air, the NOAA said.

The passengers even got the opportunity to see baby dolphins tail-slap, making for a great show for the “guests on board,” onlookers said.

This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 6:16 PM with the headline "‘Super spunky’ sea creatures leap from CA waters. See the ‘beautiful moment’."