A Southern California surfer caught more than big waves Tuesday morning

Newsroom Staff September 30, 2015

Last Updated: September 30, 2015

Coronado, Cal. — A man was surfing off the coast of Coronado, California when he had an encounter with a gray whale.

Daron Case says he believes the whale was a 20-foot-long juvenile.

Thanks to a GoPro camera, Case captured video of the huge mammal underwater and breaching. Oceanographers say it’s not uncommon to see gray whales off the Southern California coast.

They say this one, though, appears overly thin and has a number of barnacles on its body which is an indication that it is swimming slower than normal.