Featured Image Credit: Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari Video Screenshot
Passengers on Captain Dave’s Whale and Dolphin Safari recently witnessed a sight they won’t soon forget. Two gray whales displaying courtship behavior and traveling south were interrupted by a pod of more than ten dolphins. The incident occurred off Dana Point Headlands in California.
The dolphins swam and twirled around the two 30 ton animals. The whales seemed to be amused by the dolphins and started to play along with them. They turned on their sides, and rolled over and swam backstroke. Seeing the two species interact and play is amazing.
Watch the video here.
Dave Anderson, who has operated Captain Dave’s Whale and Dolphin Safari for 20 years out of Dana Point Harbor, says that it’s not uncommon for this type of dolphin, the Pacific white-sided dolphin, to interact with gray whales engaging in courtship behavior. He says it seems to be a special relationship between the two species.
The event was captured by a drone operated by Domenic Biagini. Biagini said that the action started after he put the drone away because gray whales on the way to Mexico are usually are on “a beeline” to their destination. Seeing the whales do more than come up for air was a rare sight. Thousands of gray whales are now on their way to Mexico in their annual migration. It’s pretty common to see them this time of year, but this amazing occurrence was one for the books.