Massive blue whales are swimming so close to shore in Monterey Bay that lucky landlubbers might be able to spot them from dry land, according to wildlife officials.

The whales are attracted to the cold, nutrient-dense water that is sucked to the surface when offshore winds blow the warmer surface-layer of water out to sea, said Scott Kathey, a spokesman for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The whales first started appearing in late June.

"So with these nutrients at the surface, the whole thing takes off," Kathey said. "As krill start to mass, that's where you will find the whales."

The blue whales scoot up Monterey Bay's deep canyons and then follow the food to the surface, often ending up far closer to shore than they would at other times of the year, Kathey said.

Unlike humpback whales, which often leap into the air or flash their fins while they eat, blue whales are more likely to float along like sea cows munching their cud.

But the 330,000-pound mammals don't get along with boats, Kathey said.

"A prop can slash through blubber or a whale can get rammed," he said. "If you're in a small outboard (boat) motoring around at 30 knots, and you collide with the whale it isn't going to be good for the whale and it definitely isn't going to be good for you."

Boaters should never cut across a whale's path and should avoid sudden speed or direction changes when near a whale, Kathey said. All boaters should stay 300 feet from the whales, he advised.

"Just give them their space and enjoy," Kathey said. "They're like a submarine. You don't need to be 5 feet away to see them."
