PHOTOS: SoCal Whale Close Encounters Published January 25, 2015 • Updated on March 2, 2020 at 5:21 pm Humpback whales, orcas and more: up-close viewer photos of the massive mammals that swim through Southern California's waters. 5 photos 1/5 Laryssa Densmore Two humpback whales appeared just 100 yards offshore from Redondo Beach on Saturday, Jan. 24, at about 12:41 p.m., according to photographer Laryssa Densmore, who was out on a whale watching tour at the time. 2/5 Laryssa Densmore A kayaker got a close-up view of the two whales off Redondo Beach. 3/5 Laryssa Densmore The kayaker clearly enjoyed watching a humpback's fluke rising up out of the water after it briefly surfaced. 4/5 Courtesy Rich German A stand-up paddleboarder caught up-close footage with a pod of orcas in January off Laguna Beach. 5/5 DolphinSafari.com A pair of gray whales is seen courting off the coast of Dana Point, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, hundreds of miles north of their typical, protected breeding spots in the warm lagoons of Baja California. More Photo Galleries Images: Officers clear protest encampment at UCLA Photos: Pro-Palestinian demonstrations on US college campuses Photos: Pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash at UCLA PHOTOS: Fire erupts on Oceanside Pier