Where does an 85-foot, 330,000-lb. animal hide? Off the coast of Long Beach, of course.
An Aquarium of the Pacific sponsored whale watching trip this week yielded between 4-6 blue whale sightings as the giant marine mammals fed on tons of krill. Aquarium Curator of Birds and Mammals Rob Mortensen says the whales eat about four tons of krill per day.
The best way to spot a blue is by their spout, released through a double-blowhole on the top of their head, which shoots about 15-20 feet up into the air before the whale slips underneath the surface. Their backs slide across the surface, a bluish-gray sliver that provides only a hint of the largest animal ever to live on Earth.
Diana Lejins hopped aboard to capture these images of the world’s largest living being, as well as captivating shots of bowriding common dolphins and the Long Beach Harbor.
