Whale watching: Drone captures 'miracle' animal swimming without tail off Newport Beach, CA

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Drone footage captured a tailless "miracle" gray whale swimming off the coast of Newport Beach in California.

The whale was spotted making the epic 12,000-mile trek from Alaska to Mexico and back without its tail-fin, an incredibly important body part for the animal.

Most whales travel at a speed of 4 mph, but this tailless whale seemed to be going around 3 mph.

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It is still a miracle that the whale is swimming nonetheless.

Whale watchers have said the whale seems to be a little underweight, but not by that much.

The whale likely lost its tail in commercial fishing gear.