The big mix of adult and young dolphins was probably the result of several groups if they have gathered and swim to south
A group of dolphins with kilometers long was filmed to jump through the water in Carmel Bay on the central coast of California, forming an unusual ‘supergroup’ of more than 1,500 of these marine animals.
“They were on the horizon as much as I could see,” said Monterey Bay Whale Watch Captain Evan Evan Brodsky, who captured drones images from the Great Risso Dolphin Meeting (Grempus Griseus) on Friday.
The sighting was rare: Risso dolphins normally travel in groups of only 10 to 30 animals, according to the US oceanic and atmospheric administration.
From an inflatable 6 meter boat, brodsky and a small gray whale observation team watched the dolphins mesmerized to jump into the water.
A miles-long cluster of dolphins has been filmed leaping and gliding across Carmel Bay off the central coast of California, forming an unusual “super pod” of more than 1,500 of the marine creatures.
— The Associated Press (@AP)
This type of dolphin, with its stewy body and bulbous head, can weigh up to 499 pounds and reach up to 3.9 meters long.
Colleen Talty, a marine biologist who traveled to monitor the annual migration of mild whales towards the reproduction lagoons on the coast of Baixa California, Mexico, stressed that it was amazing to see over 1,500 dolphins to play around the boat.
Some, he said, were even swimming in front of the vessel and using the waves to drive them forward, a technique known as ‘Bow Riding’.
The great mix of adult and young dolphins was probably the result of several groups if they joined and swimming south, he stressed.
Although not the first time they see such a large group, it is not a common occurrence, Trandy explained.
Monterey’s coast is a particularly ideal place to see dolphins because they prefer extremely deep waters. The underwater submarine canyon means that they can swim much closer to the coast than anywhere else along the California coast, Trandy added.
The team initially did not realize the size of the supergroup that appeared on Friday morning, thinking that there were only a few hundred dolphins.
“As soon as we put the drone in the air, I was impressed… I was always saying, ‘Look at my screen. Look at my screen,'” Brodsky said.
While the dolphins continued to interact with the boat, the team moved on, being careful not to disturb.
“You don’t want to do any aggressive and potentially hurting an animal maneuver. Of course this is the last thing you want to do. So we just sailed with them. It was an amazing experience,” Brodsky concluded.
