RARE SIGHTING OF A SUPER POD OF 1,500 DOLPHINS OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST
A rare "super pod" of about 1,500 dolphins was recently sighted gliding through Carmel Bay off the central coast of California. While surveying a 20-foot (6-meter) inflatable boat, Monterey Bay Whale Watch's captain and videographer, Evan Brodsky, captured the amazing moment. Monterey Bay Whale Watch says, "We sent out our scouting boat to perform a survey on the coast south of Monterey because our bigger boats are still out getting their Winter Maintenance done and getting ready for the 2025 season."
"On our 62-mile round-trip journey from Monterey to Point Sur, we spotted 3 Northern Right Whale Dolphins, 1500+ Rissos Dolphins, and 33 Gray Whales."
The original goal of the boat trip was to follow the grey whales' yearly journey to breeding lagoons off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. The crew on board, however, was pleasantly surprised to discover dolphins everywhere. "They were on the horizon I feel like as far as I could see," remembers Captain Brodsky, who used a drone to record the incident.
At first, the team estimated the number of dolphins to be several hundred. When we installed the drone, I was completely amazed. "Look at my screen," I insisted. Check out my screen. "Look how many there are," Brodsky remembers. It never ceases to amaze me. It is always fresh.
The characteristic white scars that cover the bodies of Risso's dolphins over time make them easy to identify. They are found in oceans all over the world and typically travel in groups of 10 to 50, developing close social ties with one another. The extremely rare sighting of the super pod provides fresh information about the intriguing behaviour of the marine mammal. The large group was formed by multiple pods coming together and swimming south, according to the Monterey Bay Whale Watch team.
"You don't want to use any harsh techniques that could hurt an animal. Naturally, that is the last thing you want to do", says Brodsky. "We simply cruise with them, then. The experience was amazing."