La Mesa Teen Photographer Captures Humpback Whales Off San Diego Coast: Photos

LA MESA, CA — A 14-year-old aspiring photographer from La Mesa captured photos of humpback whales off the San Diego coast during a Veterans Day whale-watching trip with his father.

Diego Brooks, a freshman at Helix High School, photographed the whales Wednesday during a 2 1/2-hour afternoon cruise with San Diego Whale Watch.

His father, Keith Brooks, said they spotted between six and eight humpback whales during the excursion.

"It was another magical day on the water," Keith Brooks told Patch.

The elder Brooks, a local photographer, has shared photos of whales spotted off the San Diego coast with Patch on several occasions, most recently in October, when he captured images of killer whales and humpback whales during whale-watching trips.

This time, he handed the camera over to his son, who captured several photos of the whales.

"I let my son do all the photography," he said. "He got these incredible shots."