{"id":4785,"date":"2026-02-07T05:56:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T05:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=4785"},"modified":"2026-02-07T05:56:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T05:56:03","slug":"i-went-whale-watching-and-found-myself-alongside-a-dolphin-stampede","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=4785","title":{"rendered":"I went whale watching and found myself alongside a dolphin stampede"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I was on a whale-watching trip Wednesday aboard the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sdwhale.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Legacy;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Legacy<\/a> off San Diego when dolphins stole the spotlight in spectacular fashion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">We had just observed a southbound gray whale that did not stay near the surface long enough for quality views, so our captain ventured farther offshore.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Dolphins stampeding off San Diego.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/zbN27LHKisxKiQuP47t3Sw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3NjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/ftw_outdoors_usa_today_article_609\/99201283d7179ca0ce3d425ba5124c35\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Dolphins stampeding off San Diego.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">We saw common dolphins in the distance, beyond Point Loma. But they, too, moved lazily atop a calm ocean during an unseasonably warm afternoon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But as we approached, still a few hundred yards away, the dolphins changed behavior as if they had been activated by a switch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">ALSO: Rare &#8216;dinosaur bird&#8217; encounter has more tourists hoping to see one<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Typically, dolphins greet approaching boats and bow ride or leap playfully in their wakes. These dolphins seemed frantic, porpoising to the south in a powerful, unified effort to vacate one location in favor of another \u2013 as swiftly as possible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Perhaps 1,000 dolphins, including babies alongside moms, high-tailed at top speed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">We followed parallel for about two minutes before the dolphins stopped stampeding and began to appear alongside the Legacy to ride its bow and surf its wakes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Scientists are not sure why dolphins stampede except for obvious reasons, such as predatory orcas in their midst.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Common dolphins during stampede.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/pxDIG4DjxOA2Pn9hLma31g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3NjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/ftw_outdoors_usa_today_article_609\/e9b6f9baf0854aff1430e7bed996bd9c\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Common dolphins during stampede.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They could become spooked by something else, such as unusual sounds or disturbances that only they can detect.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Stampeding could also simply be a mass relocation mechanism for feeding purposes, or a social behavior.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">We did not see orcas or anything unusual besides active military vessels and aircraft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The dolphins stayed with the Legacy for several minutes before we had to return to port.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">We saw another &#8220;uncooperative&#8221; gray whale on the way back, but it was anticlimactic after what we had just witnessed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>This article originally appeared on For The Win: <a href=\"https:\/\/ftw.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/outdoors\/2026\/02\/05\/dolphins-stampede-hundreds-unexplained-phenomenon-san-diego\/88528351007\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Dolphins stampede by hundreds in unexplained phenomenon off San Diego;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Dolphins stampede by hundreds in unexplained phenomenon off San Diego<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was on a whale-watching trip Wednesday aboard the Legacy off San Diego when dolphins stole the spotlight in spectacular fashion. We had just observed a southbound gray whale that did not stay near the surface long enough for quality views, so our captain ventured farther offshore. Dolphins stampeding off San Diego. We saw common [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}