Drone Captures Rare Blue Whale Breach Off California Coast

A drone filmed a rare and striking encounter with a blue whale off Rancho Palos Verdes, California, showing the giant animal swimming in the ocean and then leaping above the surface. The footage followed the whale for several moments and highlighted both its immense size and its smooth movement through the water.

Blue whales are the largest animals alive today and, according to the article, the largest known to have ever existed. Adults can grow to more than 30 meters in length and weigh over 150 tons.

Despite that size, blue whales feed mainly on tiny krill, filtering huge quantities of them from the water. In the video, the whale first swims near the surface and then performs a dramatic jump known as a breaching.

Researchers say such leaps may serve different purposes, including communication with other whales, removing parasites from the skin, or social behavior. Blue whales live in oceans around the world, but their numbers fell sharply during the 20th century because of extensive commercial whaling.