The largest mammal on Earth is back, hanging out just three miles off the coast of Dana Point. 
A  blue whale was spotted this morning by Capt. Dave’s Whale Watching and Dolphin Safari, a welcome sight for the charter boat after a few showed up mid-May and then disappeared.
Gisele Anderson, wife of Capt. Dave, said Thursday they were looking at last year’s numbers asking “when are they going to be back?”
Blue whales usually show up in steady numbers in June, and this year it seems they came back right on time, Anderson said.
Blue whales have been showing up off the coast here in large  numbers. Years ago, it would be big news if a handful were seen during a summer season. Last year, Capt. Dave’s logged 300 sightings, and in 2006 there were 400 spotted offshore.
But there’s never a guarantee of seeing the blue whales on any given sightseeing tour. Sometimes at the height of the season, they’ll disappear for a week. Other times, spectators are lucky enough to see 20 blue whales playing close to shore.
The unusual pattern last year was how long they ended up staying here — until November. Usually sightings slow down in September, but October sightings passed the previous month.
Blue whales also like deep water, and can be found in the Catalina Channel. Capt. Dave’s will have an extended 5-hour trip Saturday (cost $89.). Regular trips are held throughout the day, the next one at noon and then 3 p.m. (cost $55).

Unlike the gray whales that pass through here on their migration from Alaska to Baja, the blues are feeding offshore, and tend to stick around.
“We are the destination,” she said. “They’re out there feeding, just hanging out for vacation.”
Fun facts about the blue whale:
•The blue whale’s main food source is krill, a shrimp-like crustacean. Large whales can eat up to 4 tons a day.
•A big question remains about the creatures: Scientists are unsure where they go to breed. Some believe they go near Costa Rica.
•They can get up to about 100 feet long and weigh 190 tons.
•Calves are about 20 feet long at birth, and weigh about 5,000 pounds.
•Their voices can travel thousands of miles, and they can recognize voices.
•Their hearts are the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.
For more information about the blue whales, plus a listing of local sightseeing boats

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