Our afternoon trip was delightful with sunshine and good visibility with a 3-foot swell and less than a foot of wind chop. We went out at high tide,what’s known as the Spring tides, where we have high high-tides and low low tides. We have what is known as mixed semi-diurnal tides. Each day, two high tides and two low tides of different heights. The animals know where to be at certain times during the lunar cycle. It’s known as a “search image”, knowing what to look, when and where on the might Pacific.
We headed southwest toward the border and found two large pods of 300+ short-beaked common dolphins, along with a smaller pod of long-beaked common dolphins. They kept us entertained as they raced over to play with our wake and the pressure wave off of our bow. We saw nursery pods of mothers with babies—cow/calf pairs—and some high porpoising and breaching, a type of courtship displays and dominance hierarchy. The breaches produce loud percussive sounds that can spook prey or tell other pod-members something of import.
On our way back into the Mission Bay Channel, we found a cow/calf Bottlenose dolphin and a few others foraging during the outgoing tide. The “local summer” for San Diego residents is underway. We have less travelers at this time of year, meaning more space for locals to play without dealing with the parking issues typically found during the busy summer. The water temperature is 67F, making it perfect for swimming and splashing in the surf. We hope to see you soon on a wildlife ocean safari! — Biologist Greg McCormack
