Mystery: SEVEN-MILE 'mega-pod' of 100,000 dolphins off the coast of San Diego

A pod of 100,000 dolphins has been spotted off of the coast of San Diego.

Dolphins typically travel in groups of anywhere between 15 and 200 which are called pods.

What Mr Dutra spotted on Thursday however is best described as a super mega pod given the astonishing size of the group. He estimated that the trail of dolphins was seven miles long and five miles wide, and he was able to steer the boat alongside them for over an hour.

Experts are unable to pinpoint any specific reason as to why so many of the mammals were traveling together on this particular night.

Daily Mail

See the link above for a video.

The reason for this huge gathering of dolphins is currently uncertain.

Wow truly an amazing sight.

I can't help but feeling though that they are getting out of dodge in a hurry.

Wonder what's coming?

reply to post by ollncasino


Wow that is really strange, I can not imagine why they are all together like that.

It has begun.....

Is this the same one from last year? Dolphin Megapod

If so, I would think there has got to be some explanations out there somewhere by now. Interesting indeed.

EDIT: To add the numbers I was finding about this pod were anywhere from 700 - 2000 dolphins (they called them dolphin stampedes). Where does the 100 000 figure come from?

Maybe Aquaman has decided to throw a yearly dolphin bash and invites all his little friends to come play.

Could be possible?

reply to post by ollncasino


Any pictures of the fleets of fishing trawlers following them?

Whilst it would have been excellent to see, i think a pod that size would have freaked me out. Maybe it's my age, but as VasaCroe pointed out, i would have been thinking Hitch Hikers style!

reply to post by ollncasino


They gonna kick someones ass for sure!

Love Hitchhiker's Guide....could not help but draw the conclusion....So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! And to anyone who has not seen it....go watch it!

Originally posted by Flavian
reply to post by ollncasino

 

Any pictures of the fleets of fishing trawlers following them?

Whilst it would have been excellent to see, i think a pod that size would have freaked me out. Maybe it's my age, but as VasaCroe pointed out, i would have been thinking Hitch Hikers style!

If you watch the video in the link you can see the guy on the boat that's cutting right through the middle of the pod.

I wonder how many dolphins they slaughtered with their propellers to get that film?

Pretty sad.

100,000 Dolphins? is it even possible to 'count' to 100K in one hour? I'm just asking, is the 100,000 a typo, maybe 1000? 10,00? but 100K How did they get this number? The wierd thing was, I was just glancing at 'Blue Planet' on the TV and David Attenborough ws talking about 'Mega Pods' being about 500 strong?

reply to post by Hopechest


Probably none as it looks to have a fairly shallow propellor. One thing you can say for Dolphins is that they aren't daft! (unlike a myriad other creatures we share this planet with). I mean look at Pheasants. It is almost that they like being run over!

If these pods are gathering there, you can guarantee fish stocks will be ridiculously high there to be able to support so many animals. I will worry more when the Japanese Whaling fleet cottons on to this.......

reply to post by Hopechest


Probably - Zero? Dolphins are so sophisticated when it comes to swiming near 'solid' objects in the water, they are rarely ever injured by watercraft in the open sea unless they are forced into the shallows, but they are AMAZING swimmers, it's virtually impossible to run them down with a stupid-human boat !

reply to post by Flavian


Well I hope your right but I've gone through pods in our families sailboat, no engine running, and they were slamming into the boat.

I'd hate to see anything happen to such wonderful creatures.

reply to post by Hopechest


Its a touring company/whale watching company for the area or something. Im sure if they were slaughtering dolphins with their propellers they wouldn't be up and running and getting business from the public.

Any idea as to direction they are headed? Warmer water somewhere or trying to get out of the way of something about to happen? Saw the story that this happened in Feb last year as well, but is it only those two times documented because they happened to find out about this migration last year or is this truly the only two years a pod this big has been together?

Nothing unusual over here:

Pod size appears to be related to the availability of food and the size and openness and depth of their environment. In areas of high food availability, pods can temporarily join together to form a "super pod", exceeding 1,000 dolphins. In deeper parts of the ocean there have been reports of super pods reaching over a mile in length, requiring merchant ships to stop while these pods pass safely by. More shallow areas of the ocean support pod sizes often less than 20 in number.

understanddolphins.tripod.com...

I learned something new today, yeah!

New if they all became beached on their own doing, then I'd run for the hills lol. EARTHQUAKE

damnit, someone beat me to it (flashblock, so I didn't see it)

Originally posted by Hopechest
reply to post by Flavian

 

Well I hope your right but I've gone through pods in our families sailboat, no engine running, and they were slamming into the boat.

I'd hate to see anything happen to such wonderful creatures.

Always a possibility with boats without a running engine. It is the noise of the engine that warns them away (and many other marine animals). This is why many tour boat companies now like things like catamarans for whale or dolphin watching - they can use engines to get to the area and then use sail power to get closer for a proper look.

If you want to avoid it in future, just turn the engines on when you get near them.

Whilst i find this kind of natural thing incredible, imo 100k
seems a stretch. I believe Dolphins and thier kin are THE
most intelligent creatures on this planet - we sure as hell are not!!

Just one thing, now that the cat is out of the proverbial bag, i guess
you all can be expecting some Japanese tourists/scientists over there
soon in big boats with big pointy guns (for thier protection from hippies
of course)....
Cheers....