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witnessed a surprising number of orca encounters as well , with the killer whales making an appearance as recently as April . According to Fasser , this species is extremely intelligent and inquisitive . “ They show it every time we ’ re with them , whether or not they ’ re in a friendly mood with the boat ,” she says . “… Whether they ’ re hunting or just socializing — interacting with their young — you see this really amazing , dynamic social structure . … I ’ ve had some of the most connected encounters with killer whales .”
“ With the orcas that we saw from December to January , we had about 16 individual sightings , which is historic ,” Rodriguez notes . “… Usually it ’ s only a handful of sightings every couple years . When they are here often , like we experienced this year , we are very lucky .
“… But that ’ s the nice thing about some of our faster boats : … They ’ re actively scouting for whales like this and making bigger ranges ,” she adds . “ We see rare things like this a handful of times each year , including sperm whales , false killer whales [ and ] pilot whales .”
WILDLIFE IN ABUNDANCE However , whales aren ’ t the only creatures that can be spotted on these expeditions . In fact , watching dolphins can be just as thrilling — and there are three species that call this region home , including the common dolphin , the bottlenose
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Top : a blue whale , the largest mammal on Earth ; right : Newport Coastal Adventure ’ s Zodiac-style boats go fast and get passengers close to the water — and the animals like this bottlenose dolphin .
dolphin and the Risso ’ s dolphin .
“ Dolphins are so wonderful because they will seek you out in a friendly manner . They enjoy coming over to the boat ,” Lawler says . “… It ’ s really special .”
Whale watching can also be ideal for birding , with swarms of brown pelicans soaring through the skies , catching fish and floating atop the waves this year . Other wildlife that Fasser says they often spot in the summertime includes ocean sunfish , sharks , seals , jellyfish , sea turtles and other types of birds — plus the vocal sea lions that you can always count on to be resting on the iconic red buoy just outside the harbor .
The high level of diversity in marine species in the area is likely due to a gigantic underwater canyon that starts at the mouth of this harbor . “ The moment that you get outside of Newport Harbor , the canyon wall drops down from 40 feet to 2,000
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feet ,” Rodriguez explains . “ So you get this really interesting topography on the ocean floor , which promotes a lot of nutrients rising from those cool , rich areas of the deep sea … up to the surface , which supports plankton growth … that brings our big whales .”
Newport also lies next to Laguna Beach ’ s Marine Protected Areas and no-take zones , which have encouraged local wildlife to thrive in recent years with strict rules against motored recreation , fishing and even touching the animals .
And with ever-expanding experiences , including Newport Coastal Adventure ’ s all-day photography workshops and Newport Whales ’ bioluminescence cruises — which whisk passengers away at a few hour ’ s notice when local waves are expected to be glowing blue due to nearby algal blooms — there is always something to see on the water in Newport , so get out and explore . NBM
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COURTESY OF NEWPORT COASTAL ADVENTURE |
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