Dolphins???? or ????

NewportNewbie · #1 (**permalink**) 12-25-2011

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...

http://cuajota.com/?p=348

Any ideas?

xymotic · #2 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

Dall's porpoise. Pretty common in the PNW, I was really excited thinking I saw Orcas when I first moved up here. Still never seen an orca lol. Way cool to see em in socal though,

NewportNewbie · #3 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

Cool...Thanks! Just googled the porpoise...not sure thats what I saw. The dorsal fin on the porpoise is short and stubby...on the one in my video and on images of orca, they are long and curved. I also googled Orca and SoCal, and it seems Orca have been spotted in the local waters hunting the Sea Lions which are abundant here...Again not saying thats what I saw...BUT....it would make sense. The size though is what gets me...I would think the Orca would be larger...MUCH larger

NewportNewbie · #4 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

I'm gonna go with Dolphin...just not the normal variety...

flyingwelshman · #5 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

Maybe a Pacific White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)?

Faster · #6 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

The dorsals and the surfacing style looks like small to midsized Orcas (Killer Whales) to me.. most dolphins are more energetic...

Quote:

Orcas ARE much larger. Here's one chasing a Dall's Porpoise:

Your image above is two orcas.. likely an adult and a young 'un... no way that 'smaller' one is a Dalls porpoise.

xymotic · #7 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

The dorsals and the surfacing style looks like small to midsized Orcas (Killer Whales) to me.. most dolphins are more energetic...

Your image above is two orcas.. likely an adult and a young 'un... no way that 'smaller' one is a Dalls porpoise.

yup, I went off the description but you are right. I deleted it but you caught me too quick

flyingwelshman · #8 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

The dorsals and the surfacing style looks like small to midsized Orcas (Killer Whales) to me.. most dolphins are more energetic...

Your image above is two orcas.. likely an adult and a young 'un... no way that 'smaller' one is a Dalls porpoise.

After looking at the video again, I think you are probably right. I was caught up in the white spot on one of the dorsal fins - not a common colouration in orca.
But the sedate manner in which the animals surface, and the relative flatness i.e. not archedness or the bodies seems to be more orca than dolphin or porpoise.

WDS123 · #9 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

Newport,

Dang - you keep posted those lush videos of sunny skies, wine dark seas, and dolphins shot during December...and every last Sailor in the Northeast freezing his tail off with his boat on the hard this winter will want to move to SoCal.

Faster · #10 (**permalink**) 12-26-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by WDSchock

Newport,

Dang - you keep posted those lush videos of sunny skies, wine dark seas, and dolphins shot during December...and every last Sailor in the Northeast freezing his tail off with his boat on the hard this winter will want to move to SoCal.

No Worries, WD!... they'll all be heading for the PNW where you can actually sail 30 miles a day and anchor in a different, sheltered anchorage each night... Do it now and you'll have those bays to yourself for the most part!