Rare whale birth off the coast of California caught on camera

A false killer whale and its calf.
(Image credit: YouTube.com/DolphinSafari)

Sightings of false killer whales are rare enough off the coast of Southern California, and on Saturday, a few lucky boat passengers were able to witness a once in a lifetime event: The birth of a calf.

A pod of 40 false killer whales — cousins of the better-known orcas — started to swim next to a catamaran operated by Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari, and a few began to push against the port side of the boat. "There was a sudden burst of blood and the newborn calf popped out," the company said in a statement. Several whales surrounded the calf, and spent at least 10 minutes pushing it to the surface of the water as it learned how to swim, Capt. Tom Southern said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.