Whale waters in California recently witnessed a whale give birth to a young calf right in front of its boat. While this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these whale watchers, experts are concerned because this species usually gives birth in the lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California. Experts fear that the mother has a long way to go before she and her new calf can make it back to safety.

Source: @nowthisearth/Youtube

Photos of the extremely rare spectacle were shared on Facebook by Captain Dave’s Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari, a boat tour agency in Dana Point, California.

“It’s something you dream about and hope that someday might happen, but you don’t really expect it,” Dave Anderson, who runs the tour agency, told Newsweek.

Dana Point was recently named the first whale heritage site in the United States. The community helps care for and protect whales, dolphins, and porpoises in the area. However, it is a long way from the typical gray whale breeding grounds.

Although it is extremely rare to see a gray whale give birth, those who were there said that the mother seemed to be fairly relaxed. Anderson, who was not on the boat, said,

“She didn’t seem to be in a lot of distress,” he said. “She wasn’t acting like she was, you know, in pain, and she wasn’t acting in any way that made anybody think there was a problem…. It seemed like a fairly gentle process.”

Now, the mother and her calf have a long way to go from Dana Point. Experts fear that the calf is not strong enough to swim the long 700-kilometer (434-mile) journey to where they have to go. We hope that the mother and her calf will be able to make it to safety, and experts will reportedly be keeping an eye on the pair.

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