When Evan Brodsky, a captain and videographer with the private boat tour company Monterey Bay Whale Watch, set off to survey the waters of Monterey Beach off the coast of California on February 21st, he and the team onboard the water vessel never imagined what nature would have in store for them that day.
A rare super pod of nearly 3,000 dolphins revealing a combination of adults and calves, appeared en masse, swimming and frolicking together, astonishing Captain Brodsky and the research team.
Luckily Brodsky was able to capture the spectacular and rare sighting on film to share with the world in hopes of inspiring people to see the beautiful dolphins frolicking and swimming wild and free within their natural habitat.
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Northern Right Whale Dolphins, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, and Light Grey Baby Calves Captured on Film
The rare super pod of dolphins quite literally blew the minds of Brodsky and crew as they witnessed a mixture of Northern right whale dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and light grey baby calves breaching and swimming the waters of Monterey Bay in joyous unison.
According to Brodsky, Northern right whale dolphins, a species without a dorsal fin, typically travel in smaller groups of approximately 100 to 200 and swim in much deeper waters, farther away from the shoreline. However, that 'typical' characteristic was not the normal status quo for that day, as the Northern right whale dolphins joined in with the rest of the group, enjoying their lives in the open waters of the Pacific.
"Super pods like this are rare, especially of Northern right whale dolphins," Captain Brodsky with Monterey Bay Whale Watch wrote on Facebook, noting that winter is the best time to watch for dolphins in this area.
Brodsky indicated that he and the research team were "so excited" by the rare sighting that they could hardly contain their emotions; the wonderful experience prompting them to smile from ear to ear; seeing so many babies in the water with their mothers also moved them beyond words.
"People come from all over the world to see the northern right whale dolphin, which is one of the only two species of dolphin without a dorsal fin," Brodsky stated. "There were so many baby dolphins in this group also, who are much lighter in color, but just as fast as their moms!"
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Monterey Bay, California Is the Place to Be to See Dolphins, Whales, and Much More
Monterey Bay in California is a popular area among marine wildlife enthusiasts, locals and tourists who want to set their eyes upon the graceful and gentle creatures of the sea, such as dolphins, whales, and many more aquatic creatures.
The area also affords boat tours, as indicated by Captain Brodsky, out onto the open waters to catch a glimpse of the wonderful sea creatures. For marine wildlife enthusiasts, the bay is a dream come true to be able to witness rare sightings such as the super pod of thousands of dolphins.
Often, dolphins will group in pods to feed, or keep predators from approaching. However, this super pod of dolphins was more than happy to dance among the waves freely, without a care in the world.
"In pods they play, babysit, alert each other to danger like predators, practice courtship, and hunt together," according to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
This isn't the first time, nor will it be the last, that Captain Brodsky and the research team spotted a super pod of dolphins swimming in Monterey Bay. In January, a super pod of approximately 1,500 Risso's dolphins appeared in the waters; another rarity because Risso's dolphins typically swim in very small groups of 10 to 30.
"They were just having a great time. So they were breaching everywhere ... tail slapping, coming right over to the boat. They looked like they were having a big party," Colleen Talty, a marine biologist onboard the water vessel said.