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Video: Dolphins 'Surf' Blue Whale In Free Interspecies Ride
A pod of playful dolphins got a free ride from an obliging blue whale off Dana Point. According to a captain who regularly leads tourists on "dolphin safaris," the dolphins were "surfing" with their much larger kin.
Captain Dave Anderson, who runs Dolphin Safari tours out of Dana Point, tells Laguna Niguel/Dana Point Patch,"The crew caught on tape an amazing interspecies encounter of a small pod of bottlenose dolphins catching a ride, actually surfing, on the front of a giant blue whale. This kind of a free ride is possible for these dolphins by positioning themselves in front of this rare and endangered whale and riding the pressure wave created by the force of this giant moving through the water."
Anderson says, "The dolphins were having fun and 'surfing' the largest animal in the world, a blue whale."
He adds, "Even though blue whales and bottlenose dolphins coexist in some of the same oceans, they do not run in the same social circles and are not typically seen together, making this a unique and memorable whale watching encounter for all."
He estimates that the dolphins are about 8 to 12 feet long and that the whale in this video was about 80 feet long.
According to Anderson, the waters off Southern California has more dolphins per square mile than anywhere else in the world, and during the summer months, it also has largest concentration of blue whales in the world.
Between June and October whales migrate to warmer Orange County waters to feed on delicious, delicious krill, Anderson says.
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This video might not be as exciting as"Dolphin Mega-Pod Stampede," "Cats And Dolphins Playing Together," "Dolphins Help Save Dog From Drowning," or "Dolphin Kisses Dog," but still worth your click.
Related:
Couple Plans 'Dolphin-Assisted Birth' In Hawaii, Experts Call It Worst Idea Ever
Cat And Dolphins Playing Together, Mass Hysteria!
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