A humpback whale known as “Chompers” is once again gracing the waters off the Southern California coast, this time with a newborn calf in tow. The pair were recently observed in the waters near Newport Beach, according to whale watching tours.
Newport Beach has experienced a surge in humpback whale activity, with multiple sightings over the past two weeks. Among these have been two well-known female humpbacks returning with new offspring. “Chompers” and her calf were seen traveling from Laguna Beach to Newport Beach, occasionally stopping to feed alongside hundreds of dolphins.
“Chompers” earned her moniker from a distinctive habit of lifting her head out of the water and snapping her jaws. She was first documented by the Cascadia Research Collective in the Santa Barbara Channel in 1991, and researchers have tracked her movements since. Whale watching groups first spotted “Chompers” off Newport Beach in 2014 and have observed her in the Southern California region almost annually since 2017. This is the third time she has been seen with a new calf during that period.
Another familiar humpback, known as “Chris,” has also been sighted along the Orange County coastline with her calf, “Snow Christal.” “Chris” is also the mother of “Snowflake,” who was born during the 2016-2017 season. “Chris” has been a regular sight in Newport Beach, and this is the first time she has been observed with a new calf since “Snowflake” was seen in 2017.
These sightings have created a remarkable period for whale watchers, with familiar whales returning to the coast with the next generation. The whales have been observed playing, breaching, and feeding in the productive Southern California feeding grounds, contributing to the consistent activity over the last two weeks.
Humpback whales can reach up to 50 feet in length and weigh as much as 40 tons. While “Chompers” is easily identifiable by her unique behavior, other whales like her and “Chris” are identified through unique patterns on the underside of their tail fins, known as flukes, which serve as individual identifiers similar to human fingerprints.