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Photo Courtesy of Antonio Ramirez
Antonio Ramirez, who was aboard a Hornblower Cruise on Thursday, snapped this photo of the dolphins swimming in a "super mega-pod."
Thousands of dolphins spanning across seven miles of ocean were sighted off the coast of San Diego on Thursday, a boat captain told NBC 7 San Diego.
Capt. Joe Dutra of Hornblower Cruises said he saw a “super mega-pod” of common dolphins Thursday around noon while he was on his daily tour. He said the pod was more than seven miles long and five miles wide.
It's likely the mega-pod of dolphins were following food, such as sardines or herring. But whatever the reason they congregated off the coast of California, scientists say there's no doubt they were communicating with one another. NBC's Diana Alvear reports.
Dutra said the boat tour followed the pod for more than an hour and said he’s never seen anything like it.
“When you see something that is honestly truly beyond belief,” the captain said.
Guests aboard the boat started screaming and pointing when they first saw the school of adult and juvenile common dolphins. Dutra estimated there were about 100,000 dolphins swimming in the area.
For more, visit NBCSanDiego.com
“They were coming from all directions, you could see them from as far as the eye can see,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff out here… but this is the biggest I’ve ever seen, ever.”
Whale and dolphin watching tours have done particularly well this year, with dozens of animal sightings reported.
Marine mammal expert Sarah Wilkin said the reason the large pod might be there is because there’s plenty of food in the area, including sardines, herring and squid.
“They’re attracted to kind of the same thing, they might wind up in the same place,” she said.
Though dolphins typically travel in groups of 200 or less, Wilkin said “super-pods” are not unheard of.
“They’re definitely social animals, they stick together in small groups,” she said. “But sometimes, the schools come together.”
Dutra, who’s been boating for decades, said he felt lucky to enjoy such a rare phenomenon.
“You had to be there to experience it,” he said. “It was truly spectacular.”
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Hey, dolphins are no dummies - they know the end of the world when they see it coming.
Sometimes I think the Dolphins are smarter than humans
Here is a YouTube video of this event (really). Unfortunately, nothing HD posted yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ioklkxbzck
I've had them surf my bow wake when sailing. They're amazing creatures.
Great video, only a few hundred views on what should go viral in a day or two.
It is really amazing to have this many dolphins congregating in one place. They are beautiful to watch and are extremely intelligent creatures. They are one of the few animals on the planet with a brain size to body mass ratio that competes with humans. My guess is that they are all congregating because there is some huge food source in the area. It would be great to be able to go out there and see this massive pod in person.
It was their class reunion.
.
Perhaps they were all being chased by bigger fish ! Maybe they sense something in the ocean, and are running for cover.
going to the dophin convention
Uh-oh. It's a summit meeting, sorta like the gang summit in "The Warriors". Bad things are about to happen to law-abiding sealife!
It's a shame that we separate ourselves as special from other animals just because we are different. I lump humans with the several other species that are highly social, self-aware, intelligent, and exhibit altruistic behaviors--dolphins (including orcas), whales, elephants, apes, parrots, wolves, the crow and raven and jay family of birds, and rats. Just because they haven't ruined their habitat and overpopulated the planet doesn't mean they aren't as valuable or worthy as we are to inhabit Earth. What animal would like to live like us? I doubt those dolphins would.
Hopefully they aren't fleeing the Navy's use of sonar in San Diego. We had a young endangered orca killed here about a year ago from some type of explosive blast. The Navy still insists on using sonar and engaging in war games in the habitat of one of the most endangered populations of killer whales--ashholes don't have the right priorities.
Roger,
Non-sense! I've seen schools almost that large out at sea in the Pacific. I've also seen large schools of shark. It's nothing to be alarmed over.
Studies always state that dolphins are intelligent. Maybe we should stop for a moment and question whether they are actually more intelligent. At least they seem to have figured out how to all go in the same direction.
@ Witchking post 1.1,
If we could only read their minds we might discover they are actually smarter than we are but because of their physical limitations like us with our mental limitations they are unable to express to us just that. We may find out some day we are actually considered retarded compared to others in this universe. Wouldn't that be something to write about?
Hmmm, there is something fishy about this.
They may all be gathering to be picked up by the mother ship since they are about the only intelligent life worth saving off this planet..
I saw a documentary on these types of super pods. They all come together to gorge themselves on sardines. Although those were featured off the wast coast of Africa. Still it was fascinating to see.
Maybe these dolphins sense that something big is going to happen in the area and so they packed their fins and are getting outta here?
They are smarter than humans. They are very spiritual, wise beings and are here to help humans. It's a shame that we have treated them so badly.
W O W ! N E A T ! (Go Dolphins...LOL)
Dolphins are such happy, care-free creatures. Maybe they know something we don't know. If I am reincarnated, I want to be a dolphin.
JS in SD - You know what else has a similair brain to body mass index? Mice. If that is your guideline then it is a pretty poor measuring stick...
Witchking
Sometimes I think the Dolphins are smarter than humans
Sometimes?
It's the new immigration package. They'll all be here.
Don't tell the Japanese where they are! They will catch the whole pod and hack it to death with chopsticks!
An event like this reminds us how small we really are. There is so much we don't know, so much we haven't even seen. To believe, or even worse, to speak with certainty about when the "end" is coming, or how we are destroying the planet, is hard to acknowledge as intelligent. Yes, things are changing. Yes, we can do much better as far as conservation. Yes, we can do much better regarding pollution. But as the human race is concerned, we are simply another life form on the largest life form of all, the planet Earth. It is evident to me that every time we feel big and powerful, we are dwarfed by a simple act of nature. We saw the large meteor coming, and knew we were safe. We missed the smaller one though, didn't we? There is much more to life on this planet than gasoline engines and melting glaciers. Just remember, you as a human change from the time you are born until the day you die, yet you expect the most powerful life form in existence to remain constant?
Nothing to worry about. Now if you see a bunch of white mice acting strangly, find someplace safe to hide, preferably off planet. Don't forget your towel.
The dolphins are awesome.... it's those killer rabbits attacking parked cars that are the problem!
And here I just figured they were finally joining together to revolt against mankind for what we have done to the earth. GO dolphins!
I am surprised there are enough to do that with the way the Japanese slaughter them...and the whales...and the blue fin tuna...they will only stop when the very last one is caught...what a great society they are...NOT!
So long and thanks for all of the fish!
Pj, you beat me to it.
THat was the first thing that came to mind just reading the headline.
Take care,
JonnotJohn
JonNotJohn, after reading other posts on this thread, I was only the first to post it on vine #1, but not the first to post the line. Not so clever, afterall. :) Still, it's a good line!
Doug - what evidence do you present that this behavior is how dolphins would react if they sensed the end of the world? How do we know dolphins wouldn't scatter individually if they sensed the end was night? For all we know, the super pod is just the annual dolphin con.
Sorry Kevin, but that is not the correct video. If you will notice, that same youtuber had uploaded the same video 11 months before of those dolphins. Why do people put this type of stuff up?
ants are smarter than humans
It's not usual to see this large of a pod, is it? And that Kevin guy? Has he reposted something. Because my take on it is....if you see that many dolphins swimming away from something, they feel things before we do, and maybe they're running from some kind of impending disaster? Idon't mean to be so glum, but that's my take............just sayin'
What I want to know is, which way were they going?
I think I saw the same documentary, it was amazing, it only happens once a year I believe. I would love to see this in real life, it's on my bucket list definitely.
Obviously a flash mob, communicated over their iPods.
There probably fleeing from the Japanese
Just saw a HUGE pod of dolphins on Pacific Coast Highway at Topanga Canyon at 10AM today in Malibu. While waiting for the signal to turn, which is quite long, we all had a glorious sight of them leaping and circling the small inlet there. What a sight.
Beautiful to see. and yes Witchking, i believe Dolphins are much more smarter than us humans.
Stupid statement on your part.
To be "much more smarter" than you isn't saying much.
I guess it would be saying something if we could find a bigger dillhole than spencer
What is the porpoise of your statement?
I hope the dolphin have a wonderful full life of all there favorite things.
Why don't you wish the same thing for mosquitos?
Yeah, quite trying to be happy Jill, you're upseting Timmy.
MSNBC, com'on - “When you see something that is honestly truly beyond belief,” the captain said.
Finish the sentence....
LOL. true.
Go dolphins
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Grab you towel its time to hitch out of here ;)
Lol, i was hoping someone else was thinking that when they clicked on this article. That song immediately poped into my head when i saw this. Maybe if we could find a Babel fish, would could talk to those dolphins.
@ Old F: Don't panic.
Knew this had to be here somewhere. Especially with the meteor stories.
Better go find that book if they all disappear all of a sudden....
Don't forget:
"mostly harmless."
In unrelated news, a massive fleet of Japanese "research vessels" recently left Japan and headed in the direction of San Diego.
Stop these mofo's! Maybe a "divine wind" is in order !!!
Wile in route they were wiped out by what some say was a atomic devise.
Reliable sources claim that the the mega pod was a ruse to bring them out.
Others still claim that dolphins are still 5 year a way from having atomic weapons
Up dates at 11
makes me wonder if they are swimming away from something? underwater earthquake??? idk....kinda erie
My thought exactly..They can sence something that is going to happen before it does happen..
No, I live here in San Diego, and I have seen it a few times in my lifetime, and actually have an 8mm film of such an event from the 70's my Father took while we were headed out to the kelp beds for some fishing. I actually believe it is a migration to an area that has food, or possibly an area that serves for mating purposes, but there has been no major event(s) taking place afterwards out of the several times I witnessed it.
Yeah, the boat from which the videos were taken, which plowed right through the pod.
Hopefully the dolphins avoided the props. Thanks Captain Smart.....
David those were all practice runs and this is the real deal.. Something is gonna happen and the big mess in Russia from the sky fall was just the opening shot.. They saw some small ones off the California coast as well..
OR
Maybe the federal drug cops are massing on Humboldt County and the party's over so it's time to head down to Mexico..
Or MAYBE they were chasing food and all these other retarded thoughts should be kept to yourselves...
Always spreading good will and cheer.. that's why we love Timmy.
Swim Forrest, SWIM!!!
im wondering like US BECOMES.. which direction were they going..remember the 6.0 under water a few weeks ago off the san diego coast...does anyone remember the movie THE CORE there was one scene at the beginning where the scientist guy is talking about how birds and some animals navigate and he tells his co workers to look up any strange news funny animal migrations and such....while a get that the movie was just hollywood make believe there might sometimes be some truth to the science behind it...the movie had something to do with the core in the earth had stopped spinning and our geo magnetic field that protects the earth was breaking down....just saying....lots of quakes all over the world as well in the last several years ..and yes i get that in geological terms the time we are living in is just a blip in history but things do come in cycles and history does repeat itself....by the way im of no particular political preference or religous preference either and im not a doomsday freak...just observing the world as we know it...
I saw the same thing about 30 years ago off the coast of Pismo Beach. We were surrounded,by what seemed like,1000's of dolphins.
Neither the stills or the video shows thousands of dolphins for miles, group exaggeration at work, but still cool.
I actually have an old 8mm film of one of these events, and sorry, you just can't capture the magnitude of this with a camera, unless you are using a plane. It is like as far as the eye can see, dolphins. I should say this, they also swim a good five to ten feet away from each other, giving each other plenty of room, which also creates more distance. The captain was spot on about it being five miles wide, and probably seven miles long because of that.
Maybe this is their way of standing up with 350.org who are humans gathering in DC. Maybe this is porpoise activism - better pay attention.
Somehow, I know it's that crazy global warming that caused it.
It's the nautical version of "The Birds".
No gloom or doom. How did this make the news? Would have been awesome to see.
So long ..... and thanks for all the fish.
I was out there just missed it darn it.
One dolphin recently quoted... "Thanks for all the fish"
They look riled up and detertmined. Is it too much to hope they're tired of waiting for us to do something, and headed northeast to take over the Capitol by force, and throw out this useless band of dullards and dopes we've got in Congress? Heaven knows it'd be a welcome change to have actual intelligent creatures with working brains representing us in Washington.
Elle, It would be a great improvement to have all those Dolphin running this country. Maybe things would be better than they are now.
So long, and thanks for all the fish!
We here in Southern California are keenly looking forward to the dolphins' culinary reviews about the local cuisine choices.
Maybe they know something we don't know.
but remember they are on the endangered and protected list???? they eat and destroy more food fish than the netters take in a year??? they need to be thinned out, way too many now! ! ! !
Yeah, slaughtered dolphins to enhance your dining pleasure. Too many commercial fisherman out there. They need to be thinned out.
Are you kidding?! Slaughter intelligent beings so you can eat more fish? Dolphins would probably do a much better job of managing the planet than humans and they don't kill except to eat so I agree with Santhosha... thin the humans.
Sorry to burst your bubble Mountainlady, but dolphins do kill for pleasure. They also rape. But why let facts get in the way of your little world. Go ahead and put a creature that can't survive on land in charge of the planet. That's GREAT logic...
We should put Timmy in charge... no fun or happy thoughts for anyone... you kids get off my lawn!!
Hitchhikers Guide stuff.
I know it's been said on this thread but all that comes to mind is.
"So long, and thanks for all the fish"!
We will know more on a full moon, and when they are spotted on radar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojydNb3Lrrs
My wife and I were honeymooning in Souther California in 2009 and were on a boat from Long Beach to Catalina Island at about 7am... We were halfway into the trip when we experienced the same exact thing!! All of a sudden the captain came on the loudspeaker and told everyone to look out the windows... We saw dolphins swimming for what look like as far as our eyes could see. The boat went crazy! It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen... they were breaching the water everywhere it seems like, swimming with the boat.. Easilily what looked like 10's of thousands of them.. It was truley an amazing experience.. We had no idea it was this rare! Right place right time it looks like! It was an amazing experience on our honeymoon.
I have always taken it for granted the three times I have seen this. I would have taken more video of it had I known this was considered rare... My Father and I took an 8mm film back in the 70's while we were fishing off the coast of San Diego of just such of an event. Also have videos of whales, especially a blue whale that was using my boat as a back scratch-er or something else? I will have to dig these old videos up, and put them on Youtube so others can see them.
They are all probably chasing the ONE fish left after the Japanese took them all.