A Southern California surfer caught more than big waves this week.
He was surfing off the coast of Coronado, Calif., Tuesday morning when he had an encounter with a gray whale.
Daron Case said 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 appeared overly thin and had a number of barnacles on its body, which is an indication that it is swimming slower than normal.