A 15-foot-long gray whale was spotted in a Carlsbad, California, lagoon on Monday, August 7. At around 2 pm, nearly 300 spectators had stopped near the Agua Hedionda Lagoon to see the whale in action, according to reports.

SeaWorld scientists stayed close to monitor until it safely moved out to sea. Some spectators tried to swim with the whale, but were advised against it by police. Credit: Instagram/mela.jans via Storyful