A gray whale was spotted off Newport Beach, California, on Super Bowl Sunday. This drone footage captured by wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau shows the mammal, which was swimming just ten feet from the shore at one point.

Girardeau told Storyful the whale stopped to play around in the surf, surprising many beachgoers who were watching from the sand. It stayed for close to an hour before continuing on.

The filmer has been tracking the gray whale migration from Alaska to Mexico with Newport Coastal Adventure, a Newport Beach-based tour company. Credit: Mark Girardeau/Newport Coastal Adventure via Storyful