A fisherman was looking for salmon and sea bass in the river. He found a whale

NPR | By Debbie Elliott

Published September 20, 2026 at 8:05 AM EDT

A fisherman has the ultimate fishing tale: He spotted an adult humpback whale has in California's largest river. That's a rare sighting in those parts.

Debbie Elliott

NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott can be heard telling stories from her native South.

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