Drone Films Dolphins Surfing in Front of Humpback Whale off Dana Point California
Orange County has its first known resident humpback whale. A small 30-foot humpback whale nicknamed Gooseneck, has been making near daily appearances off Orange County for over nine weeks and counting.
And for the first time, after many attempts, Capt. Dave captured drone footage of this humpback whale along with a pod of common dolphins actually riding the pressure wave that the swimming whale created in front of it. Dolphins often ride the front of boats like this and catch a free ride. But this whale surfing is only rarely seen and as far as we know has never been filmed with a drone before.
Whale watchers with Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari in Dana Point, California, also had a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up-close and personal with the whale yesterday when the animal chose to come over and have a look at the boat and its occupants. This is called a “mugging”. Capt. Dave launched his drone over the whale on a couple different days. The drone captured aerial footage of dolphins “surfing” the whale and other cameras captured an exclusive underwater view of the humpback from the boat’s Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
The humpback, nicknamed Gooseneck because of distinctive barnacles on his dorsal fin, is also known as Brutus and Mr. October. Gooseneck is almost always found feeding with the dolphins who love to whale surf in front of him. He recently was joined by another larger humpback.
Gooseneck and Captain Dave’s drone footage will appear in a National Geographic program premiering in 2015 called United States of Animals. “I hope he will stay around all winter, though I expect him to head to mainland Mexico along with the 800 or so humpbacks that spend the summer feeding off of central California. Up until this year humpbacks have been seen only a few times a year off Orange County. However, this is the year of the humpback! We have probably had twenty times the humpback sightings this year! And I don’t think we have had a whale of any species that has been seen this many times for this long! And we see a lot of whales we have year round watching and regularly see blue whales, gray whales, fin whales, and minke whales at different times of year,” says Captain Dave. This humpback is quickly becoming our first resident whale and we are thrilled at the prospect!
Humpback whales are occasionally seen off Orange County, but this is the first time a humpback has taken up residence in the area. Gooseneck often is seen feeding and playing with our local dolphin population.
Like other baleen whales, humpback whales feed in colder waters and migrate to warmer climates for mating and calving. Humpbacks are seen off Southern California at sporadic times throughout the year when the whales are making their way up the coast in search of food or heading south to Mexico to mate and give birth. About 800 humpbacks are found off California in summer, mostly above Point Conception. It is highly unusual for one humpback whale to spend over two months feeding and playing in the waters off Dana Point.
Humpback whales are known for their friendly and curious behavior towards boats, and this whale is no exception! During the whale’s time here, whale watchers have witnessed kelping, breaching, tail slapping, and more. Kelping is an interesting behavior that occurs when a whale drapes itself in kelp. Scientists don’t know exactly why whales do this and some speculate that the kelp feels good on the whale’s skin.
Humpback whales can reach lengths of around 50 feet with females being slightly larger. They can weigh up to 40 tons. There long pectoral flippers can be up to 15 feet in length. Humpbacks eat small fish that dolphins also eat and krill.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
Music: Waves of Freedom courtesy of David Hollandsworth,
Drone equipment courtesy of Aerial Media Pros,
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
(949) 488-2828
captdave@cox.net
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So Many Blue Whales off Dana Point, California, Even the Dolphins are Whale Watching
Endangered blue whales, the largest living animal on earth, are populating the waters off Dana Point, California, in huge numbers. There are so many whales that pods of dolphins are joining the whale watching fun!
Passengers aboard “Manute’a”, a high-tech catamaran sailboat operated by Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari, were hoping to see whales and dolphins this past weekend. They were surprised and elated to get up close with both, at the same time! As a huge blue whale came towards the boat, which was stationary and in neutral, a pod of bottlenose dolphins joined the whale and began bow riding on the pressure wave created by the massive leviathan.
“Dolphins, when they are little, will get up next to mom and ride her pressure wave created by her moving through the water. They get a free ride so they can keep up with the pod. When they are older they will ride the bow of a boat or even a whale. This blue whale is dolphin entertainment. They seem to be following it even if it changes direction so it is not just for hitching a ride where they are going. These dolphins appear to be actually whale watching and playing with and off of this gigantic blue whale. This is a rare sighting and so glad we caught it on video,” says Captain Dave
The blue whale is known to the crew of Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Safari, too. Via photo recapture identification it is confirmed to be a whale nicknamed Blue Ray. Blue Ray was seen multiple times last year is known to be friendly and curious. Photo recapture studies help to provide whale watchers with a personal history of the animal for a more interesting and educational whale watching experience.
Southern California has more oceanic dolphins per square mile than anywhere else in the world. And during the summer months there are more blue whales off Southern California than anywhere on earth. Between June and October blue whales migrate to California waters to feed on krill, a little shrimp-like crustacean.
Blue whales are a protected species after almost being hunted to extinction in the early 1900’s. And though whaling is no longer considered a major threat to blue whales, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are ongoing risks with potentially deadly consequences. Nearly 1,000 dolphins and whales die every day, worldwide, in fishing gear entanglement. Captain Dave organized Orange County's first whale disentanglement group and has successfully disentangled several gray whales, including the gray whale Lily, whose disentanglement made national headlines. Captain Dave wrote and published the award winning book, “Lily, A Gray Whale’s Odyssey”, about a gray whale’s migration.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
(949) 488-2828
captdave@cox.net
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Over 60 Sperm Whales Surround Whale Watching Boat off Dana Point California
Whale watchers with Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Point, California, had an extremely unique sighting today when they encountered a very rarely seen giant pod of 60 to 100 sperm whales. Passengers and crew were awestruck when the some of the sperm whales came over and “mugged” the Capt. Dave’s catamaran, which was stationary and in neutral. Passengers also had a once-in-a-lifetime look at the sperm whales from the boat’s Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
“I've never seen anything like this in my life and only once before have I ever seen a single sperm whale off Dana Point. They were stretched out over almost two miles, diving down, and then new whales surfacing nearby. We got some beautiful drone footage which I am saving for a project I am working on. It was so beautiful and at one point three whales swam straight at us. We had been sitting with the engine off for several minutes and they nearly torpedoed us! It really got my heart racing! I also got incredible surface and underwater footage of this unusual event. These leviathans also came right up to our whale watching boat and looked into the underwater viewing pods. Wow! God truly blessed us today!” explains Captain Dave.
Sperm whales can reach lengths of up to 59 feet and weigh up to 45 tons. They are the largest toothed whale and may be here feeding on giant Humboldt squid. Pods like those seen today are made up of mostly of adult females and sub-adult males. Female adult sperm whales usually roam away from the main group. Sperm whales can dive to depths over 3,300 feet, making them the second deepest diving marine mammal after the Cuvier's beaked whale. Sperm whales can hold their breath for over an hour. They have the largest brain of any known animal on Earth.
The whales were seen in about ten groups of about eight to twelve whales each, spread over two to three miles just three miles off the Dana Point Harbor. The groups would surface for as much as 15 minutes at a time, occasionally approaching the boat to spy hop, roll, tail lob and fluke.
Captain Larry, aboard the Ocean Explorer, initially contacted Capt. Tom, aboard Capt. Dave’s vessel, the Manute’a, to let them know about the rare occurrence.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
(949) 488-2828
captdave@cox.net
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Drones Over Dolphin Stampede and Whales off Dana Point and Maui
Drone films a dolphin stampede, gray whales, and mother and calf humpback whales.
Captain Dave Anderson of Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Point, California, at great personal risk, has recently filmed and edited a 5-minute video that contains some of the most beautiful, jaw-dropping, footage ever taken with a drone from the air of a huge mega-pod of thousands of common dolphins stampeding off Dana Point, California, three gray whales migrating together down the coast off San Clemente, California, and heartwarming close-ups hovering over a newborn Humpback whale calf snuggling and playing with its mom as an escort whale stands guard nearby, filmed recently in Maui.
According to N.O.A.A. Southern California has the greatest density of dolphins in the world. We have pods up to 10,000 strong stretched out for miles like the wildebeests of Africa. Over 400,000 common dolphin alone. We also have the largest concentration of blue whales on earth.
Capt. Dave explains, This is the most beautiful and compelling five minute video I have ever put together. I learned so much about these whales and dolphins from this drone footage that it feels like I have entered a new dimension! I have not been this excited about a new technology since we built our underwater viewing pods on our whale watching boat. Drones are going to change how we view the animal world. Wow!
Capt. Dave had to film this off a small inflatable boat, launching and catching the quadcopter drone by hand where a miss could mean injury to him from the four propeller blades or loss of the drone. He actually lost one drone on takeoff when it nicked his small VHF radio antenna on the 14 foot rigid inflatable he was filming from and it went into the water. Alone six miles offshore Capt. Dave , without thinking , dove into the cold, late-January waters off Dana Point to retrieve the valuable footage taken on a flight a half hour earlier that morning. I had my hat and glasses on, I was fully clothed with long-johns on to keep warm and my cell phone and wallet in my pocket, Captain Dave explained. It was a stupid move, but the copter started sinking so fast it was my only hope to get the amazing footage I had just shot. Since then he has attached flotation to the skids, which would save the footage, but every flight over the water still risks the DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter with a small GoPro HERO3 Black camera on it, as the $1,700 rig is not waterproof and the skids will not keep it upright on the ocean.
I get so nervous every flight over the water now, after the accident, my hands start shaking, explains Capt. Dave. My wife says no more drones if I lose this one. But she said that before I lost the other one. Now that she's seen what it can do, I think she's just as hooked as I am.
This technology, that offers such steady footage from the air for such a low price and is so easy to fly, is new. This was a ten or twenty thousand dollar copter a few years ago and flying those took a great deal of skill. I can't wait to see what footage this year will bring with this drone, getting a different perspective on the amazing sightings we already have off Dana Point. There is debate in many states right now about making use of these drones illegal. People are justifiably concerned about invasion of privacy. But it would be a shame to have this new window into a whale's world taken away.
Entanglement in fishing gear takes the lives of nearly 1,000 dolphins and whales ever day around the world. Captain Dave formed Orange County's first whale disentanglement group in 2008 and has been involved in disentangling several whales, including a gray whale named Lily, whose disentanglement in Dana Point Harbor made national headlines. He authored the award-winning book, Lily, A Gray Whale's Odyssey, which won eight awards in 2013.
Special Note From Captain Dave:
Attention any would be whale videographers: please only attempt this if you are extremely familiar with whale behavior as it is illegal to do anything that causes the whales to change their normal behavior with big fines- and the authorities do watch YouTube. Different areas have different laws on approaching whales. I am a whale watch captain with nearly 20 years of experience. All laws were obeyed by us during filming. In Maui we sat watching whales from a distance for hours before they moved closer to us. You can never approach them there closer than 100 yards. The Mom and calf as you can see in the film were completely undisturbed by the small drone. NOAA is currently reviewing drones and may create laws or guidelines for using them around whales.
Fully licensed music by David Hollandsworth
Video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
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First Gray Whale of 2018 Season Makes Early Halloween Appearance | Capt. Dave's Whale Watching
Gray whales have begun their annual 12,000 mile migration past Southern California, making their way down the west coast of North America to the warm waters of Baja California, Mexico, a little early this season. Captivated Dana Point whale watchers aboard our high-tech catamaran were treated to the first gray whale of the 2018-2019 season on Halloween. Gray whales are typically not seen until late November or early December.
Our own Captain Tom was enjoying his day off with an afternoon of surfing off San Onofre State Beach when his wife spotted a gray whale. He called us to let us know of the sighting.
According to Captain Marie, who was at the helm of Manute’a, the gray whale is on the skinny side but looks to be doing okay. “It has lots of barnacles and some whale lice, but otherwise looks healthy.” A second gray whale was spotted further in the distance however we did not have enough time to get a good look at it.
Gray whales average between 40 to 50 feet in length and weigh 30 to 40 tons. Each fall they depart the cold waters of the Bering and Chukchi seas, near Alaska, where they spend the summer bottom feeding on small crustaceans called amphipods. The whales travel about 6,000 miles to the warm and protected lagoons of Baja to mate and give birth to their calves. Calves are about 15 feet long when they’re born and will gain over 50 pounds a day feeding on mother’s milk. The whales will spend several weeks in these warmer waters, with new mothers lingering the longest to give the calves time to increase their layer of blubber. In the spring gray whales will make their way back up the coast with new their calves, giving onlookers another opportunity to catch a glimpse of the majestic whales.
Southern California residents are familiar with the annual migration of these large marine mammals and know Dana Point to be one of the best places to view the migration. Gray whales often travel within a mile or two of the coast, and are believed to use Dana Point’s headlands as a landmark on their route. Many residents, as well as visitors to the Orange County area, have experienced unique gray whale encounters aboard Captain Dave’s customized catamarans, which depart from Dana Point Harbor.
Every March Dana Point celebrates migrating gray whales and other marine wildlife with annual Festival of Whales. Ocean-themed event and activities that have an emphasis on education and environmental responsibility attract nearly 100,000 visitors each year.
During their migration gray whales face many challenges including attacks from killer whales, and one particular hazard which takes the lives of nearly 1,000 dolphins and whales every day around the world. An estimated 308,000 dolphins and whales worldwide die every year because of entanglement in fishing gear. Captain Dave Anderson organized Orange County’s first whale rescue group, and alongside other rescue team members, has disentangled many whales, including several gray whales.
Video filmed by drone pilot Grayden Fanning and videographer Craig DeWitt
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
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Dolphin and whale footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
Gray Whale Surprises Beachgoers Inside Dana Point Harbor
Swimmers, paddleboarders, and whale watchers were surprised by a small Gray Whale that has made it's way into Dana Point Harbor, in Southern California. The whale, nicknamed Carly, is believed to be the same whale seen near Carlsbad yesterday.
This was a very rare encounter. Gray whales are almost never seen in August off the coast of Southern California. Their annual migration typically ends in May.
Each winter gray whales are seen migrating along the west coast as they journey about 6,000 miles from the cold seas of Alaska, where they spend the summer feeding, to the warm waters of Baja, California. There, in the protected lagoons, they mate and give birth. Adult gray whales average about 45 feet in length and weigh 30 to 40 tons. In the late winter and early spring gray whales migrate another 6,000 miles back to their feeding grounds in the Chukchi and Bering Seas.
Captain Dave was operating a whale watching trip when he saw the gray whale in the harbor. The whale overall looks fairly healthy, but skinny, and appears to be underweight. It looks to be about 15 to 18 feet in length and heading up the coast. The gray whale seems to be foraging for food in the harbor. Some gray whales, during their migration route, end up stopping along the way and some find enough food to survive.
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
Tel: (949) 488-2828
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Drone video filmed by Domenic Biagini. Boat footage filmed by Craig DeWitt.
Dolphin and whale footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
Music by Epidemic Sound (
Dana Point Gray Whale Watching
Highlights from Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari's encounter with a migrating gray whale on November 30, 2013 in Dana Point, California. The gray whale is making its annual journey from the cold waters off of Alaska to the warm waters off of Baja, California. Gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods and LIVE broadcasting from
(949) 488-2828
captdave@cox.net
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Baja-Like Experience With Baby Whale For Dana Point Whale Watchers
What started out as two pairs of mother and calf gray whales rolling around and seemingly having fun off the coast of Dana Point, California, turned into what’s known as a mugging when one of the curious pairs came over to whale watching passengers aboard Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari to give them a friendly whale “hello”.
This type of behavior is usually reserved for the mating and birthing lagoons in Baja, California. There gray whales are now known as the friendly whale because they will come over to boats specifically to interact with people. In Baja gray whale mothers will even nudge their young calves over to the boat to be touched!
Gray whale sightings are breaking records again this season. So far sightings are up 50% from last season!
Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any mammal. Along the way they face many threats including killer whales and entanglement in fishing gear. Nearly 1,000 dolphins and whales die every day, worldwide, in fishing gear entanglement. Captain Dave organized Orange County's first whale disentanglement group and has successfully disentangled several gray whales, including the gray whale Lily, whose rescue made national headlines.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
*****
Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
(949) 488-2828
captaindave@dolphinsafari.com
*****
Dana Point Whale Watchers Have Exciting Up-Close Encounter with Blue Whale
Whale watchers aboard Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari in Dana Point, California, had a very up-close and personal encounter with a juvenile blue whale nicknamed “Hitch”. While the boat was in neutral and not moving, “Hitch” swam over to check out the people on board. This is called a mugging. Muggings occur when a whale becomes curious and takes a special interest in a boat. “Hitch” swam around and under Captain Dave’s high-tech catamaran within very close proximity to whale watching passengers. Everyone on board was very excited to be so close to the largest animal on earth!
Southern California hosts the largest concentration of blue whales in the world during the summer months. Between June and October these endangered animals are populating Orange County waters to feed on krill, a very small shrimp-like crustacean. Blue whales can consume four tons of krill every day!
After nearly being hunted to extinction in the early 1900’s, endangered blue whales are now protected worldwide. However, while whaling is no longer considered a threat to blue whales, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are ongoing hazards. Nearly 1,000 dolphins and whales die every day, worldwide, in fishing gear entanglement. Captain Dave organized Orange County's first whale disentanglement group and has successfully disentangled several gray whales, including the gray whale Lily, whose disentanglement made national headlines. Captain Dave wrote and published the award winning book, “Lily, A Gray Whale’s Odyssey”, a magnificent photographic journey of a gray whale’s migration.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
*****
Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
(949) 488-2828
captdave@cox.net
*****
Breaching Gray Whales Show Off For Orange County Whale Watchers
Migrating Gray Whales put on an incredible show for Orange County Whale Watchers aboard Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari.
An unusual group of six gray whales (three separate mom and calf pairs) were making their journey back up the coast of Southern California, from the lagoons in Baja to their feeding grounds in the waters off Alaska, when they decided to have a little fun. Just outside of the kelp beds off Orange County, California, the whales began breaching and spy-hopping!
Gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal and are seen every winter off of Dana Point. Each year the gray whales travel 10,000 to 12,000 miles from the Chukchi and Bering Seas to the lagoons of Baja, California, where they mate and have their calves before returning back north. Gray whales are sometimes seen less than a mile from the beach.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
*****
Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods and LIVE broadcasting from
(949) 488-2828
captdave@cox.net
*****
'Big Wednesday' - Dolphin Dave's Diaries: March 31, 2017
#CaptainDaves #WhaleWatching
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
Tel: (949) 488-2828
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Dolphin and whale footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
Two Rare Sharks Seen Feeding Near Southern California Harbor
Whale watchers, on board a catamaran operated by Capt. Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari, encountered two very rarely seen basking sharks off of Dana Point Harbor in Southern California yesterday evening. The two sharks, one estimated to be over 20 feet and the other a little under, were only about two miles off the beach, feeding in about 600 feet of water.
Basking sharks are an extraordinary sighting off of Dana Point. “We almost never see basking sharks in this area, so this is quite a sighting to have two of them show up at the same time,” said Captain Dave. According to Captain Dave’s sightings records dating back to 2002, the company has only seen basking sharks twice before; once in May 2012 and again in February 2013.
Basking sharks are the second largest shark species, after the whale shark. Adults can reaches lengths up to 30 feet and weight over 5 tons. Despite their size, they are not dangerous to humans. Basking sharks are filter feeders. They feed on plankton near the surface of the water.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) classifies basking sharks as a species of concern. There are estimated to be only 300 to 500 basking sharks left in the eastern North Pacific. Schools of hundreds and thousands used to be seen off of California. However, due to fisheries and eradication programs in the 1900s, now only a few individuals are seen at one time. The population has not recovered likely due in part to their low reproductive rates.
This was not Captain Dave’s only unique sighting yesterday. Whale watchers on a trip earlier in day were greeted by Dana Point’s first blue whale of the 2016 season! Blue whales are the largest known animal to have ever lived on earth. Although it is rare to see them in March, during the summer months there are more blue whales off Southern California than anywhere on earth. They migrate to California waters to feed on krill, a small shrimp-like crustacean.
Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers year round, Eco-friendly, dolphin and whale watching excursions aboard unique high-tech catamarans with exclusive features including Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods. An award winning filmmaker, author, and whale disentangler, Captain Dave Anderson is a leader in ocean wildlife education and conservation.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
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5 Gray Whales in Just 60 feet of Water off Laguna Beach - Dolphin Davie's Diaries: March 6, 2017
#CaptainDaves #WhaleWatching
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
Tel: (949) 488-2828
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Dolphin and whale footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
Rare pilot whales visit Dana Point; Whale Watchers Get Amazing Underwater Footage
A pod of pilot whales, including mothers and newborn calves, paid an extremely rare visit to Southern California today. Passengers and crew aboard Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Point, California, were out on one of their regular dolphin and whale watching excursions expecting to see a huge herd of dolphins and maybe a fin or blue whale. Instead they were surprised and thrilled to encounter a pod of around 50 pilot whales! A curious mom and calf came up to window of underwater viewing pod and looked at the people in pod.
Pilot whales have not been seen in Orange County waters for over twenty years! When I was making my film on the whales and dolphins in this area pilot whales were like the Holy Grail, Capt. Dave explained. I tried and tried to find some and I could not even find anyone that had seen any since the late 80s. Every time someone called me with reports of pilot whales in the area I went after them and they always turned out to be false killer whales or risso's dolphin. This is amazing and truly a rare sighting. With squid now being plentiful in the area I can only hope that this sighting may mark the return of Pilot Whales to this area.
Pilot whales disappeared from the area about 30 years ago after an El Nino event caused the squid population to go way down and scientists don't know exactly why they're not here anymore as there are plenty of squid now. About the time pilot whales left, risso's dolphins began appearing. Pilot whales, like killer whales, are a member of the dolphin family. They love to eat squid but they will consume fish too. Pilot whales are large with adult males averaging around 18 to 20 feet in length. They're second in size only to killer whales and are highly intelligent.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
*****
Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
(949) 488-2828
captdave@cox.net
*****
Record Variety of Whales Seen Off Southern California Coast This Week
Southern California is no stranger to huge numbers of whales. The area is known to have one of the largest population dolphins and blue whales in the world. Earlier this week, in just one day, Southern California whale watchers aboard Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari’s catamaran sailboat in Dana Point, California, encountered eight different species of whales and dolphins including rare pilot whales, blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, gray whales, minke whales, common dolphin and Risso’s dolphin. And throughout the week spectacular sightings with multiple species of large baleen whales, some rare, have continued. Dana Point whale watchers were thrilled to see rare Bryde’s (pronounced broodus) whales, of which N.O.A.A. estimates there is only a population of 12 animals inhabiting the waters off Washington, Oregon, and California. Additionally, blue whale season just stared and in one week more blue whales have been seen than during the entire month of May for the past two years combined.
“This is the fourth time since June 2014 that pilot whales have been seen in the waters off Dana Point. Maybe we can begin to call these pilot whales residents,” says Captain Dave. “Pilot whales were thought to have disappeared from the area about 30 years ago after an El Nino event caused the squid population to decrease.” Pilot whales belong to the suborder of Odontocetes or “toothed whales”. They are large with adult males averaging around 18 to 20 feet in length. They’re second in size only to killer whales and are highly intelligent.
Endangered blue whales are the largest known animal on earth and can reach lengths of 100 feet and weigh over 100 tons. Interestingly, the world’s largest animal feeds on one of the smallest, krill. And blue whales can eat up to four tons of the tiny shrimp-like crustaceans every day. Last year Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari recorded over 600 encounters with magnificent blue whales. And in 2013 a record number of nearly 950 blue whales were sighted.
Fin whales are the second largest baleen whale after the blue. They can measure over 80 feet and weigh up to 80 tons. Fin whales are very fast and capable of speeds up to 23 miles per hour, leading to the nickname “greyhound of the sea”. They eat primarily krill and small schooling fish. Due to its size and speed the only natural predator of fin whales are orcas (killer whales).
Humpback whales are well known for their playful nature and long pectoral flippers. They filter up to 3,000 pounds of food, usually krill or small fish, through plates of black baleen that hang from the top of the upper jaw. Humpbacks reach about 50 feet in length and weigh up to 40 tons. They can be acrobatic and lively animals, throwing their entire bodies out of the water (breaching), lifting their powerful tail flukes out of the water and then slapping them on the surface, and more.
Gray whales average 40 to 50 feet in length and make one of the longest migrations of any mammal. Every year gray whales migrate up to 12,000 miles round-trip from their feeding grounds in the Chukchi and Bering Seas to the warm lagoons of Baja, California, where they mate and have their calves. This season, which lasts from December through May, has been the best on record for gray whale sightings. Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari has had almost 1,900 gray whale encounters this season, an increase of 65% from the season prior.
Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale, with an average size of 25 to 30 feet and a weight of about 10 tons. Like their larger brethren the fin whale, minke whales are fast too, reaching speeds of over 20 miles per hour. Minke whales are seen year-round off Dana Point, where they enjoy feeding on small fish.
Southern California hosts one of the richest and diverse marine eco-systems in the world. In addition to the blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, gray whales, minke whales, and Bryde’s whales seen this week, other whales such as sei whales, sperm whales, orca (killer whales), and Pseudorca (false killer whales) are seen too. Five different species of dolphins are seen throughout the year.
Some of the footage in this video was filmed on different dates.
All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
(949) 488-2828
captaindave@dolphinsafari.com
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Baby Gray Whales and Dolphins Underwater - Dolphin Dave's Diaries: January 19, 2017
Highlights from our recent whale watching safaris! Inclement weather kept us off the water today. But we still have some brand new footage to share including migrating Gray Whales (watch for the tiny calf!) and beautiful Common Dolphins (including underwater footage).
New vlogs every day and a LIVE broadcast every week so be sure to subscribe!
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.
Tel: (949) 488-2828
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Dolphin and whale footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission.
Music by Epidemic Sound (
Whale watching with Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari
I did this video for Guidebook America, showcasing Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari, which is one of the best places in southern California to experience dolphin and whale encounters.
Cameras:
Canon 1D C
Canon 70D
Samsung Note 4
Glidecam HD4000
Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari
dolphinsafari.com
Guidebook America
guidebookamerica.com
Dana Point Harbor Association
danapointharbor.com
Introducing Blue Whale Notcho Grande Seen During Dana Point Whale Watching Trip
For a couple of years Dana Point has been a regular stomping ground for a blue whale with a notched dorsal fin. We nicknamed it Notcho. There's a similar whale giving whale watching passengers aboard Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari quite a show recently. Both have a notched dorsal fin but this new whale is larger and will sometimes even fluke. This whale is nicknamed Notcho Grande. On 9/2/2012 Notcho Grande paid us a very up-close visit!
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Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point Harbor aboard a hi-tech catamaran with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods and LIVE broadcasting from whalewatchingtv.com.
(949) 488-2828
Email captdave@cox.net
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Whale watching with Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari
Take the family on a fun-filled sea adventure with Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari in Dana Point Harbor, California. Watch whales, dolphins, sea birds, sea otters, seals and experience nature at its rawest and finest.
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Oh, the Joy (Pun Intended): Dolphins and California Gray Whales with Captain Dave
For the past four years (maybe more), I have taken the last trip of the day on Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari (Dana Point, California) in order to say goodbye to the old year. I really can't think of anything else I'd rather do! As always, we had a spectacular trip on his new boat, the Lily. We immediately saw bottlenose dolphins and then spent the rest of the afternoon observing California gray whales - what could be better than that?! Of course, it was a glorious trip, lots of bottlenose dolphins, whales spouting, and best of all, FLUKES (i.e., whale tails).
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