A humpback whale known as Chompers has appeared off the coast of Newport Beach, California, drawing attention from local whale watchers. The giant mammal arrived with a new calf in tow. Observers report that the pair spent time swimming between Laguna and Newport, frequently pausing to feed alongside large groups of dolphins.
Chompers earned her name from her habit of lifting her head out of the water to snap her jaws. Researchers first catalogued the whale in 1991 when she appeared in the Santa Barbara channel. She has been a consistent visitor to the Southern California coast for nearly a decade, and this recent appearance marks one of the few times she has been documented with a calf in the area.
This visit is part of a broader trend of activity off the Newport Beach coastline over the last two weeks. Experts note that local feeding grounds have drawn several well-known female humpbacks to the region. Another whale named Chris also appeared recently with her own calf, Snow Christal, delighting those on local whale watching excursions.
Whale watchers identify these animals by analyzing their tail flukes, which serve as unique identifiers similar to human fingerprints. Marine experts attribute the increase in activity to the productive waters found in Southern California, which provide a reliable source of food for these animals. These sightings give researchers and the public a rare look at these mammals during their journey along the Pacific coast.