This is the spectacular moment an enormous 90ft-long blue whale swam around a small tourist boat in California.

The friendly whale mammal, apparently curious about the object floating around its home, approached the boat off the coast of Newport Beach on July 30.

It passed under the comparably tiny boat several times, leaving tourists in awe of the massive creature's size.

Footage shows the whale swimming around the orange whale watcher's boat carrying a family of tourists.

A tourist could be heard saying in the background upon seeing the creature: ‘Oh my God, that was ridiculous! There's a blue whale right next to the boat.'

The massive wildlife creature lingered for about 30 minutes before leaving the tourists on their way.

Jessica Roame, Education Manager for Davey's Locker & Newport Landing Whale Watching in Newport Beach, said the encounter was rare.

She said: 'It's rare to be approached this closely and intentionally by a whale, and it's incredible size made it all the more special for passengers onboard. It's something that requires patience, luck, and most of all a gentle touch operating the boat.'

Blue whales are the largest animals to have lived on Earth. The longest blue whale on record is a female measuring 110ft and 17inches in the South Atlantic in 1909.