|
|
25-12-2011, 21:00
|
#1
|
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Newport Beach, Ca
Boat: WD Schock Santana 30
Posts: 10
|
Dolphins ...or ?????
Merry Christmas Everyone! On my Christmas cruise today I saw what I thought were dolphins playing...normal for SoCal...but as I got closer, They looked odd...they were black and white, not grey and seemed a little larger than the great dolphin that are normal in these waters...They were also shy, as in wanted nothing to do with me...lol. Usually the dolphin when they see boats come right up to the bow...not these guys...when I got close, the dove and disappeared...dolphins or killer whales? Here is the video on my blog...
Cuajota | The chronicles of a sailboat in Newport Beach named Cuajota.
Any ideas?
|
|
|
25-12-2011, 22:41
|
#2
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Boise, ID
Boat: Trawler
Posts: 40
|
Pilot whales is what we always figured they where. If they look like large dolphins, but don't want to play, they are pilot whales.
|
|
|
25-12-2011, 22:44
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Melbourne. OZ.
Boat: Dreaming
Posts: 69
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
Hi Cuajota,
Possibly Pilot Whales?
GW
__________________
"He has a Kangaroo loose in the top paddock":
|
|
|
26-12-2011, 04:14
|
#4
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: NSW AUSTRALIA
Boat: L. Francis Herreshoff H28 Ketch & Brisol 24 @ 25'
Posts: 1,181
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
I had something similar happen on my way back down the coast just a mile or so south of the Seal Rocks lighthouse NSW Australia. This "thing" just appeared at my bow as if it wanted to rub against my long black cruising hull. After the initial surprise I identified it as a pilot whale. Next minute I was surrounded by the rest of the pod playing around the boat like dolphins. I half wonder if the first big creature was the dominant bull checking my boat out to see if I was OK?
The other strange coincidence was that I had another fairly extreme encounter hardly a few miles south of the same spot on my way up the coast. It was night and I had thoroughly checked the charts while navigating inside of the Seal Rock islands and past Edith Breaker. Next minute something exploded to my port like a violent bombora. I was sure of my navigation and all was confirmed within minutes when the whale breached again doing another big back flip. Just a pity I could not get photos of either!
__________________
Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. - Voltaire
|
|
|
26-12-2011, 05:12
|
#5
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: saskatchewan canada
Posts: 21
|
They were probably pacific white sided dolphins, they are black with grey sides and white lines coming back from the eyes, there found in your area also, commersons are black and white but they found in south america unless there taking a christmas vacation! Must have been nice to see, happy sailing..
|
|
|
26-12-2011, 06:03
|
#6
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 774
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
They're Killer Whales. We saw this pod 3 years ago at the same time of year. Every year they head north up the coast and every year everybody is flabbergasted. Called a "rare" sighting, but in reality not that uncommon if you're on the water between Dana Point and Point Mugu in December.
|
|
|
03-01-2012, 16:21
|
#7
|
Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 10
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
Yep they're killer whales, dolphins don't sound like that
_____________________
http://www.isailrace.com
iSailRace offers event online result for sail race regatta scoring with real-time analytics specially designed for sailors by sailors worldwide.
|
|
|
03-01-2012, 16:48
|
#8
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,477
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
The little black and white Porpoises are called Dahl's Porpoise. Like miniature killer whales without the tall fin!
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
|
|
|
03-01-2012, 16:52
|
#9
|
CF Adviser
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: sausalito
Boat: 14 meter sloop
Posts: 7,260
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako
The little black and white Porpoises are called Dahl's Porpoise. Like miniature killer whales without the tall fin!
|
More commonly spelled "Dall's porpoise" Phocoenoides dalli
__________________
cruising is entirely about showing up--in boat shoes.
|
|
|
03-01-2012, 16:54
|
#10
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,477
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
After looking at the pic on your site... not sure if they are Dahls or not. Hard to tell from t he photos. Evidently Dall's is correct, although I swear the book I had called them Dahl's. Said to be "the fastest of all small cetaceans". The ones I've seen often in Puget Sound are pretty small compared with southern dolphins...
" Dall's Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) is a fast-swimming, black-and-white toothed whale. It makes a distinctive "rooster tail" spray of water as it surfaces to breathe. It is also known as the "Spray Porpoise," True's porpoise, and the White-flanked Porpoise.
There are two types of Dall's Porpoise, the Dalli-type and the Truei-type; they differ in their white patch and their distribution. Dalli-type porpoises are found in the northern Pacific Ocean from North America to Asia. Truei-type porpoises are only found around Japan. Both types are found close to land and in the open sea. They may migrate.
Anatomy: Dall's Porpoise is from 5.75-7.25 feet (1.7-2.2 m) long. Newborn calves are from 34 to 39 inches (85-100 cm) long. Like all porpoises, it has spade-shaped teeth and a small, rounded head. It has black skin and a large white patch on the belly; it also has a gray dorsal fin and white-edged flukes. Diet: Dall's Porpoise is a carnivore that eats fish, crustaceans, and squid. "
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
|
|
|
04-01-2012, 19:51
|
#11
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Wherever the wind blows me
Posts: 38
|
Re: Dolphins...or?????
Here is a video of killer whales swimming that I found.
From what you can see in your video that is what they look like.
I also found this.
Rare sighting of killer whales off SoCal coastline - latimes.com
So it is very well that is what they were.
|
|
|
04-01-2012, 21:23
|
#12
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Bocas del Toro, Panama
Boat: Catalina 30 "Niunia"
Posts: 180
|
Re: Dolphins...or ?????
I don't think they are killer whales. I've seen them as far south as Monterey Bay, but never 5 sets of 30...
They really look more like porpoises
__________________
Michał
"The acquisition of the knowledge of navigation has a strange effect on the minds of men." /Jack London/
|
|
|
04-01-2012, 21:25
|
#13
|
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Newport Beach, Ca
Boat: WD Schock Santana 30
Posts: 10
|
Re: Dolphins...or ?????
Quote:
Originally Posted by Misiu
I don't think they are killer whales. I've seen them as far south as Monterey Bay, but never 5 sets of 30...
They really look more like porpoises
|
No the "5 sets of 30" day was DEFINITELY Dolphins...but that day I am sure I saw the same group of 3 Killer Whales. They have been seen regularly off the coast here. They also swim VERY differently than Dolphins.
Here is a link to that post and video....
http://cuajota.com/?p=348
|
|
|
04-01-2012, 21:48
|
#14
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Bocas del Toro, Panama
Boat: Catalina 30 "Niunia"
Posts: 180
|
Re: Dolphins...or ?????
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuajota
No the "5 sets of 30" day was DEFINITELY Dolphins...but that day I am sure I saw the same group of 3 Killer Whales. They have been seen regularly off the coast here. They also swim VERY differently than Dolphins.
Here is a link to that post and video....
Merry Christmas! Dolphins or ???? | Cuajota
|
Sorry - didn't see the video (slow connection). Three, large, black and white with distinctive movement through the water - it definitely sounds like orcas. They are beautiful animals.
__________________
Michał
"The acquisition of the knowledge of navigation has a strange effect on the minds of men." /Jack London/
|
|
|
05-01-2012, 10:20
|
#15
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,477
|
Re: Dolphins...or ?????
There should be no mistaking the two for sure. Killer whales have the tall dorsal fin. A baby will be right alongside his large mother. The porpoises are no more than 7-8 ft long, fast swimmers etc. The Orcas just kind of cruise along like most whales.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Advertise Here
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vendor Spotlight |
|
|
|
|