Gray whales give tour group 'most epic' encounter off Southern California coast

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Whale watchers off the coast of Southern California had an unforgettable encounter with gray whales — one the excursion company called its "most epic" of all time.

On Monday, passengers on a Newport Coastal Adventure tour boat near Newport Beach were cruising along the water at sunset when a pair of giant gray whales stopped to check out the small vessel for more than 45 minutes.

Video shared by the company showed the gray whales calmly rolling, bobbing and even raising their tails out of the water next to the boat, much to the delight of the tour group.

The whale watchers are also heard excitedly reacting as the curious creatures blew from their blowholes."The encounter lasted for over 45 minutes as the whales were rolling, spy hopping, and became extremely interested in our boat and passengers onboard," Jessica Roame, Newport Coastal Adventure’s education manager, said in an email, who added that this behavior is referred to as "mugging."The unique interaction happened about two miles offshore from the Newport Beach coastline, Roame said.Roame emphasized the fast raft boat’s engines were off and the boat holding 15 people was drifting during the encounter. "It’s important to stress that during this time in the year, boaters should be cautious when boating in the ocean, and keep a sharp eye out for migrating gray whales because they are on the move all along the coast right now," she said. "Boaters should always be respectful, and move slow when a whale is spotted, and keep your distance."The two gray whales spent over 45 minutes near the boat off of Newport Beach, California.