Humongous rare whale shark bumps sportfishing boat with startled fishermen look

This is one for the history books. A rare sighting of an estimated 20-25 foot whale shark at Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California.

Just when we thought we had seen it all, a whale shark shows up in Southern California. Captain Ryan Gengler of the Triton from Long Beach Sportfishing could not believe his eyes when the mamoth creature appeared. "We were about 7 miles east of the east end of Catalina Island when I saw it," said Gengler. "I could not believe my eyes."

The whale shark seemed very curious swimming around the fishing vessel and bumping into it several times. "He was curious, almost playful," said Gengler. "When he bumped into us, you could feel the boat shake."

Ryan and Brad Schlerf were on board hoping to catch some yellowfin tuna in one of the most prolific tuna seasons in decades in Southern California. Instead, they saw something that few people have ever witnessed; a whale shark in Southern California. "It was huge; I couldn't believe what we were seeing," said Ryan Schlerf. "It was as if we had been transported to another world," said his brother Brad. "I will never, ever forget this day." 

"It’s pretty rare, especially for this far north," said Dr. Chris Lowe from the Shark Lab at Cal State University at Long Beach. " It’s certainly been an epic summer for subtropical visitors."

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea reaching lengths up to 40 feet and prefer warm, tropical seas. Their favorite meal is plankton which they scoop up with their mamoth mouths while swimming near the surface of the ocean. Whale sharks are docile creatures, gentle giants and will in some cases allow swimmers to hitch a ride. They are rarely seen in Southern California.

Hear all about this wonderful day on the water only on Phil Friedman Outdoors Radio.