whale watching

Whale watching trips leave from Long Beach Harbor, right in our 'hood. So we got a Groupon for a 2-hour boat ride and a chance to see some magnificent sea mammals.

It's nearing the end of the gray whale migrating season, and there was rumor of a couple swimming by Portuguese Bend, but off in the distance we spotted a strong tall spout which could mean only one thing -- the BLUE WHALE. The Biggest living creature on Earth. Ever. EVER!!!!! Including dinosaurs!! Its tongue is the size of an African elephant! Its heart is the size of a Toyota Camry! I saw this dorsal fin and I thought it was huge. But on the scale of things, the dorsal fin is actually a tiny little part of its butt!

 The Blue Whale's footprint: what's left behind by all the water it displaces as it submerges.
 Seals lounging on a buoy.
 
Dolphins!! They jumped out and swam with us, they are really fast!

Whale watching: about 15 minutes of excitement for a 2-hour stomach reeling boat ride. But man did we have fun!