Monterey Bay was treated to a wonderful surprise this week when about a thousand dolphins appeared, swimming near the shore.
Dolphin Superpod In California
The superpod of Dolphins was spotted on Monday, Sept. 3, by an employee of the Monterey Bay Aquarium who took a video of the marine mammals jumping in and out of the water. The spectacular video was posted on the public aquarium's social media sites.
"It was one of the most amazing experiences to see the water be alive with squeaking and splashing dolphins," stated Patrick Webster, social media content creator for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. "They'll hop up and take a look at you, and you can see they're checking you out."
A superpod is made up of several groups of dolphins traveling together as one. They do this to corral schools of small fishes into a smaller area to eat.
Other marine mammals such as the beluga whale, narwhal, orca or killer whale, and sperm whale travel in social groups called pods.
It is not unusual to see a superpod of dolphins especially in California where it is a yearly occurrence, but it is a surprise to see them up close.
"[W]e have seen these superpods from the back deck at the Monterey Bay Aquarium this time of year before," explained Webster. "However, it is fairly rare to see them this close to shore and so readily observable by people, these gatherings are often found way offshore."
Monterey Bay Aquarium said that the superpod of dolphins was first spotted early morning on Monday and, since then, has been racing around Cannery Row for the entire week.
Feeding Frenzy
Whales were also spotted in the area this week. In another video posted by the Monterey Bay Whale Watch on Facebook, groups of the large marine mammals gathered in the middle of the off the coast of California lunge feeding and bubble netting or when whales blow bubbles out of their blow horns to trap fish.
A few moments later, dolphin pods arrived to pick up the leftovers. They can be seen swimming close to the larger whales.
This is the perfect time to drive to Monterey Bay and the rest of California to see the marine mammals. Whales are traveling back and forth between Mexico and San Francisco, with dolphin pods hot on their tails.
Last month, tourists also reported sightings of blue whales and humpback whales in California.
