Video: Rare humpback whale sighting off Tacoma

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TACOMA, Wash. – A rare humpback whale sighting off Tacoma has people wondering if the whale is lost and in trouble.

The whale has been spotted in the waters between Point Defiance and Vashon Island.

Experts say the whale is doing just fine and doing what a whale is supposed to do – eat.

For two weeks, the humpback whale has been delighting ferry commuters and people watching from shore.

John Rupp, the aquatic animal curator at the Point Defiance Zoo, says the whale shows no sign that it is in any trouble. He says it's very likely that it found a feeding source and it therefore hanging around and feeding.

Humpback whales spend winters in the tropics and summers in Alaska, but somewhere on the long trek, this whale took a turn and wound up in the South Sound.

Commercial whaling nearly wiped out the majestic creatures, but a whaling ban has brought them back from the brink. Some 6,000 to 8,000 are believed to be in our part of the world.

Cascadia Research

Rare humpback whale sighting off Tacoma

Unlike orca, these whales travel alone.

The whale is generally quite visible from shore, so anyone who wants to see it should come to Point Defiance, check out Owens Beach, go to the lookout on the 5-mile drive, or take a trip on the ferry Rhododendron.

Boaters should not approach the whale or be within 100 yards of it.