Whale Watchers Witness Thousands of Dolphins Charging Through Water in Stunning Video
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A whale-watching boat off the coast of San Diego captured a rare sight when it spotted a mega-pod of dolphins swimming together
The awe-inspiring video from the encounter shows an estimated group of 2,000 to 7,000 common dolphins cutting across the waters in perfect sync
“A normal size pod of common dolphins is somewhere between 100-500,” Domenic Biagini, owner of Gone Whale Watching San Diego said, adding, “To see a group of that size take off in every direction at the same time is genuinely breathtaking”
A group aboard a whale-watching ship was treated to an incredibly rare sight when a mega-pod of dolphins was spotted flying across the waters.
Domenic Biagini, who owns and operates Gone Whale Watching San Diego, captured footage of the massive group of dolphins, estimating that there were between 2,000 and 7,000 of the sea creatures swimming together.
“A normal size pod of common dolphins is somewhere between 100-500,” he told Storyful about the rare sight. “To see a group of that size take off in every direction at the same time is genuinely breathtaking.”
Domenic Biagini/Gone Whale Watching San Diego via Storyful
A mega-pod of dolphins
In the video of the amazing spectacle, someone behind the camera could be heard shouting, “What’s that sound? That’s not a boat! It’s a stampede!”
The horde of dolphins was seen leaping through the water as a large group, swimming in perfect sync.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there are several different breeds of common dolphins: the long-beaked common dolphin, the short-beaked common dolphin and the common bottlenose dolphin.
The short-beaked common dolphin can be found off the coast of California, but they tend to reside “about 300 miles offshore,” per the organization. Long-beaked dolphins typically reside “50 to 100 nautical miles [off] the coast.”
The common bottlenose dolphin seems to be the most likely species in the video, as they reside “along the West Coast off California.” They range in size from 6 to 13 feet and can weigh as much as 1,400 lbs. with a lifespan up to 60 years.
This isn’t the first time that humans have been able to see such a large group of dolphins traveling together.
In February, a whale-watching boat captain in Monterey, Calif., recorded an estimated group of 2,000 dolphins swimming together.
Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat captain and videographer Evan Brodsky encountered an even rarer group of northern right whale dolphins, according to the Associated Press.
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Domenic Biagini/Gone Whale Watching San Diego via Storyful
“[Today], we were out again conducting a survey on the area when we came across a super pod of a mind-blowing 2000+ northern right whale dolphins mixed with pacific white-sided dolphins spread out for miles as far as we could see!!” the whale watching tour group wrote alongside the footage on Facebook.
“While super pods like this are rare (especially of NRWD) winter is still the best time of year to have a chance at encountering big pods of dolphins,” the company added.
Dana Wharf Whale Watching noted that “dolphins typically travel in smaller pods of 10 to 50 individuals.” However, “certain conditions cause these marine mammals to form massive groups that can stretch for miles.”
Reasons for the mega-pods include hunting in an area abundant with food as well as providing protection from predators. Another proposed reason for the large groups was that it enabled the sea creatures to interact even more.
“A dolphin superpod allows different pods to interact, strengthening bonds, sharing knowledge, and even finding potential mates. During these gatherings, dolphins engage in playful behaviors, vocalizations, and synchronized swimming patterns, further reinforcing their complex social structures,” the organization wrote.
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