A group of tourists in Newport Beach encountered a bottlenose dolphin, which was a real surprise. There are boats on the coast, such as Newport Coastal Adventure, that offer tours to see marine wildlife up close. Recently, at Monterey Bay Whale Watch, Evan Brodsky, the boat’s captain, had the opportunity to see Risso’s dolphins in Carmel Bay, a rare occurrence, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Read on to learn more about this event.
This is how the encounter between tourists and dolphins in California unfolded
Passengers aboard a whale watching boat were surprised by a group of approximately 100 dolphins, which began swimming very close to the boat, according to ABC 7. The moment filled many with surprise when these marine mammals began jumping up to three meters high, very close to the tourists, who captured the moment with their cell phones.
The images show the dolphins swimming and jumping repeatedly, which according to marine biologists is unusual behavior for the bottlenose subspecies. Experts also said that their jumps and surfing-like swimming are a way of demonstrating the strong social bonds they can form with each other, as well as their playful nature.
The tourists who witnessed the dolphins’ visit were part of a whale watching boat belonging to Newport Coastal Adventure and sailed during the first few days of the last week of August this year.
“This large pod of dolphins began riding the boat’s wake and, in a stunning show of athleticism, repeatedly launched themselves out of the water, some easily soaring as high as 10 feet into the air,” Jessica Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for Newport Landing Whale Watching, wrote in an email to the Daily Pilot.
Drone captures group of dolphins in California
What tourists witnessed in Newport Beach is not the first impressive event recorded in California. A few months ago, a drone managed to capture an image of a colossal group of dolphins numbering approximately 1,500. The marine creatures were filmed jumping and swimming in Carmel Bay: they were identified as Risso’s dolphins. Experts shared that this subspecies generally travels in groups of 10 to 30 members.
The animals were also seen frolicking around boats, swimming in front of boats, and using the waves to propel themselves, as well as slapping their fins against the water and playing with each other. It was Captain Evan Brodsky of Monterey Bay Whale Watch who took the images of more than a thousand specimens, an extremely rare sighting, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This is Newport Beach, the beach for whale and dolphin watching
This beach in California offers specialized whale and dolphin watching tours. One of them is Newport Coastal Adventure, which keeps a record of sightings in conjunction with marine biologists. The website explains that it is common to see dolphins in Newport Beach, both common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, and that sightings of different species of whales, such as gray and blue whales, have also been recorded.
This beach is a common place to observe these animals in their natural habitat due to a combination of factors, although mainly due to the presence of small fish and plankton, which are the favorite food of whales and dolphins, according to experts.
Newport Beach the most “instagrammable” beach
Newport Beach, California, also stands out as one of the most “Instagrammable” beaches in the United States: it ranks fourth on a list of 10 destinations, with Miami Beach in first place.
This beach has more than 4,124,719 hashtags on Instagram, and most of the people who are attracted to it are tourists, surfers, and fans of different water sports.
It is a coastal town that belongs to Orange County and is located in Southern California, along Newport Bay and south of Long Beach.
