A juvenile gray whale was spotted Friday afternoon at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, and the up-close occurrence drew a crowd of onlookers.
Around 2 pm, the whale was spotted swimming back and forth on the east side of Stearns Wharf. It was between the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center and the side for vehicles leaving from the area.
The marine mammal drew dozens of individuals and families to the bird's-eye viewing area along the wharf.