‘Friendly and playful’ sea creature puts on show off California. See stunning photos

Brooke Baitinger

April 24, 2024 at 6:12 p.m.·1 min read

A young sea creature is winning the hearts of people it encounters in California with its playful antics, stunning photos show.

Graybo the humpback whale started showing off for crowds about a month or so ago, Monterey Bay Whale Watch said on Facebook April 22.

“This juvenile whale has made quite the name for his or herself over the past month as being a very active and playful individual, showing off with some sort of surface activity during almost every encounter we have with them!” the tour group said. “On Saturday, Graybo was displaying a lot of close breaches while we sat in neutral and enjoyed the show!”

That’s the same type of friendly behavior wildlife photographer Morgan Quimby said she sees from Graybo every time she encounters the playful whale, she told McClatchy News over the phone Wednesday, April 24.

“I noticed recently every time I’ve encountered him or her, they’ve been breaching, tail throwing and generally showing very friendly and active behavior,” she said.

Quimby estimates Graybo is between 2 and 4 years old. The whale first popped up in the bay in April 2023, but because it was not with its mom, it’s harder to determine how old Graybo might have been at the time.

The whale is still on the smaller side, so whale watching experts believe it’s still pretty young. Graybo tends to be the most “friendly and playful” whale Quimby and other tour guides see, and it usually swims up close to the boat and gives a little show during tours, she said.

“It’s a good way to show passengers each whale is unique with their own personality,” Quimby said.

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