Nature Photography, Dolphins
A Common Long-Nosed Dolphin “Stampede” off the Coast of Dana Point
We’d kept our fingers crossed that we’d see dolphins, but we never expected to see a pod of at least forty chasing our boat and playing in the wake
“Look for the birds,” is what our host told us. “They know where the dolphins are.” We’d seen this before, in Alaska, while searching for Humpback Whales. The birds follow the dolphins and the whales, both of whom follow the fish or krill, which the birds will swoop in to dine upon as well.
We’d been out on the water on our friend’s new boat for an hour or so, departing from Newport Beach Harbor and cruising all the way down to Dana Point. We’d seen a flock of Albatross, flapping heavily across the sky, but we hadn’t seen a lot of gulls and hadn’t seen any dolphins. But we were still hopeful since our friends had seen a pod of them the weekend before.
Once we reached Dana Point, we turned the boat around, starting to head back up the coast and, all of a sudden, we saw them — both the birds and the dolphins — charging straight at us.
I’d seen dolphins many times before while out on the water, but I’d never seen so many of them! There had to be at least forty of them prancing through the waves.
They started to pass us, so we turned back around and stayed just ahead of them for several minutes. These long-nosed common dolphins love to play in the wake of the boat. They’re known for their acrobatic feats.
They’re incredibly difficult to photograph because they are in and out of the water in a heartbeat and then back up again. I have a lot of photos of dolphin tails and splashes and just a few of their little faces.
Known to be gregarious and to travel in family groups called pods, they sometimes come together in a group of pods called “herds” and will “stampede” across the water — sometimes to escape a predator, sometimes in pursuit of fish, and sometimes just for the sheer joy of the play.
On this day, they seemed to be solely in pursuit of play because as we turned the boat, they followed us.
They like to cruise just beneath the water.
And then, they glide up from just below the surface and leap into the air.
And then they’re airborne.
I had no idea until the other day that dolphins are part of the whale family. There are forty-nine different types of dolphins and porpoises, and these species are grouped into six families. The oceanic dolphin family has thirty-eight types of dolphins. The porpoise family has seven types and there are four river dolphin families, each containing just one species and typically found in places like India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Here, in Southern California, we are lucky to have more species of dolphins and whales (many of them migratory) than in any part of America.
To see these graceful little fairies of the sea frolicking and playing on a warm summer day was absolutely magical. I’ve already requested to be the “photographer” for another boat expedition with our friends. I wonder how many species we’ll be able to find if we keep our eyes peeled for those birds?
Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).
All photos were taken with a Nikon Z7 and a NIKKOR Z 24–200mm ƒ4–6.3 VR lens.
You might also enjoy:
If you enjoyed this piece, you might consider subscribing to my stories. You’ll get an alert whenever a story gets published. While I do normally post my stories with free “friends” links on social media, if you enjoy reading on medium, you can help the many talented writers here by joining. It helps to support the arts and to keep us writing!
And, because I’ve had a few people asking lately, if you’re ever interested in purchasing a photo, just leave me a note.
Photos and story ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.
