{"id":1001786,"date":"2026-08-15T05:42:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T05:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1001786\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T05:42:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T05:42:17","slug":"humpback-whale-named-chompers-puts-on-show-off-socal-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1001786\/","title":{"rendered":"Humpback whale named \u2018Chompers\u2019 puts on show off SoCal coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

A popular humpback whale known as \u201cChompers<\/a>\u201d has been spotted in the waters off the Southern California coast<\/a> as she delights fans once again, this time bringing along a new baby calf.<\/p>\n

The giant whale<\/a> was seen in the waters of Newport Beach with the majestic mammal<\/a> enjoying her time alongside the new calf, according to videos and pictures shared by Newport Landing & Davey\u2019s Locker Whale Watching.<\/p>\n

Newport Beach, California, has experienced nearly two straight weeks of humpback whale sightings off its coast, including visits from two well-known females who returned with new calves.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday we saw \u201cCHOMPERS\u201d the humpback and her new baby! The pair took a stroll from Laguna to Newport today and stopped occasionally to feed with hundreds of dolphins,\u201d a post on social media <\/a>read.<\/p>\n

The humpback got her name due to the unusual habit she has of lifting her head out of the water and snapping or \u201cchomping\u201d her jaws.<\/p>\n

The whale was first catalogued by the Cascadia Research Collective when she was seen feeding in the Santa Barbara channel in 1991. Researchers have documented her whereabouts ever since.<\/p>\n

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The humpback got her name due to the unusual habit she has of lifting her head out of the water and snapping or \u201cchomping\u201d her jaws. Jenna Carter<\/p>\n

Humpback whales have been spotted off the coast of Newport Beach, California. KTLA5<\/p>\n

In 2014, the whale watching group said they first spotted Chompers off the coast of Newport Beach.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s been seen in the area off the Southern California coast almost every year since 2017, with three of those times bringing along a new calf, the group shared.<\/p>\n

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Chompers hasn\u2019t been the only famous female humpback delighting whale watchers, with the return of \u201cChris\u201d recently, spotted along the coastline of Orange County with her new baby calf \u201cSnow Christal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pair occasionally stopped along their journey to breach and play,\u201d the whale watching group\u2019s post<\/a> read.<\/p>\n

Chompers hasn\u2019t been the only famous female humpback delighting whale watchers, with the return of \u201cChris\u201d recently, spotted along the coastline of Orange County with her new baby calf \u201cSnow Christal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChris is especially familiar to Southern California whale watchers because she is also the mother of \u201cSnowflake,\u201d it added, of the calf born in the 2016-2017 season.<\/p>\n

The female humpback is also a familiar sight in Newport Beach, with the group noting that not since Snowflake\u2019s sighting in 2017, have they seen the marine mammal with a new calf.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has made for a remarkable couple of weeks in Newport Beach, with familiar whales returning to our coastline, this time with the next generation swimming beside them,\u201d the group said.<\/p>\n

Adorable photos and clips show the giant whales playing with their offspring as they glide and breach the ocean waters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Adorable pictures and videos show the giant whales playing with their offspring as they glide and breach the ocean waters.<\/p>\n

The female whales along with other humpbacks have been taking advantage of the productive Southern California feeding grounds. KTLA5<\/p>\n

It has been quite the show for whale watchers as the average female humpback whale can weigh up to 40 tons and be as long as 50 feet. <\/p>\n

While \u201cChompers\u201d actions make it easy to identify her, whales like her and Chris are identified by looking at pictures of the underside of their tail fin (fluke)\u201d which is as unique as thumbprints are to humans.<\/p>\n

The female whales along with other humpbacks have been taking advantage of the productive Southern California feeding grounds, which is the reason for the consistent activity over the last two weeks, according to the group.<\/p>\n

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