National

7 times sea creature sightings left onlookers amazed. Take a look at the stories

Stories by Real-Time News journalists, with AI summarization

Sea creatures continue to stun people around the world. A sailboat crew in Canada filmed killer whales swimming alongside them, while in California, onlookers watched baby orcas play and practice hunting. The famous orca ‘Old Thom’ made a rare visit off Massachusetts, recognized by his distinct fin.

Take a look at the stories below.

An endangered North Atlantic right whale and her baby were documented off the coast of Virginia June 1, researchers say. The baby is the mom’s third calf. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 1: GIANT ENDANGERED SEA CREATURE SPOTTED OFF VIRGINIA COAST — WITH A BABY. SEE THEM

With fewer than 400 left in the wild, the species is “approaching extinction,” researchers say. | Published June 4, 2024 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd

Old Thom is the only orca that has been seen repeatedly by experts in North Atlantic waters. Screengrab from Facebook video by Taylor Grai

NO. 2: WATCH FAMOUS ORCA ‘OLD THOM’ MAKE RARE APPEARANCE OFF MASSACHUSETTS COAST

The lone bull is known for his solo wandering in the North Atlantic. | Published June 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Julia Daye

A group of orcas recently surfaced alongside a sailboat during a race off the coast of Canada, video shows. Photo from Bill Pennell, UnSplash

NO. 3: KILLER WHALES CLOSELY FOLLOW SAILBOAT DURING RACE OFF CANADA. SEE ‘INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE’

The experience was “a little nerve wracking,” according to the sailing organization. | Published June 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Brendan Rascius

Two baby orcas were seen practicing their hunting skills on a bird in California, a whale watching group said. Morgan Quimby Screengrab from @Monterey_bay_whale_watch on Instagram

NO. 4: BABY KILLER WHALES SEEN ‘HAVING FUN’ WHILE PRACTICING HUNTING OFF CALIFORNIA. SEE IT

This pod created a “fantastic” encounter for viewers. | Published October 8, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez

Two pairs of female North American right whales and calves were spotted near north Florida Dec. 30, the FWC said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

NO. 5: ENDANGERED WHALES — ONE A FIRST-TIME MOM — SPOTTED WITH CALVES OFF FLORIDA. SEE THEM

Fewer than 400 remain in the wild, biologists estimate. | Published January 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd

A “rare” humpback whale was recently spotted in the English Channel, photos show. Photo from Laura Lezman, UnSplash

NO. 6: MIGRATING SEA CREATURE MAKES ‘RARE’ APPEARANCE OFF THE COAST OF ENGLAND, PHOTOS SHOW

It was photographed leaping out of the water off the coast of Hastings. | Published January 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Brendan Rascius

The whale watching group was started by survivors of the Lahaina Fire. Screengrab from Captian Chrissy's Instagram

NO. 7: WATCH AS A GOLDEN RETRIEVER MEETS A WHALE OFF HAWAII. ‘HER WISH CAME TRUE’

“She loves whales more than anyone I know” | Published April 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Helena Wegner

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.