Largest animal on the planet spotted with her baby off CA coast. See rare moment

The largest animal on Earth and her baby were spotted off the coast of California and boaters are calling the moment “magical.”

On July 18, boaters got the chance to spot a blue whale with one of her babies, according to a Facebook post by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

The “inspiring” moment along with the “beautiful, flat water” left boaters in awe, the group said.

The group even got the chance to witness a blue whale show off its tail, passengers said.

Onlookers said this moment served as a reminder for people “to do everything” they can to “protect the oceans and its inhabitants” as there are only 10,000 blue whales left in the world, 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.

Facebook users rushed to the comments to share their thoughts on the “wonderful experience” with one person saying, “Best thing we’ve ever done. I almost cried when that first one breached right in front of us!”

“What fantastic pics!” another wrote.

“These are terrific!! How great to see all those wonderful animals!!” someone said.

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

This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Largest animal on the planet spotted with her baby off CA coast. See rare moment."