BLACK‑AND‑WHITES IN SAN DIEGO… IN AUTUMN
Yes. REALLY.
Today the Pacific decided to throw us a curveball — and we LOVED it.
Our favorite winter visitors, the Pacific white‑sided dolphins, showed up on the second day of Autumn like, “Surprise, we missed you.” And they were on one — boat‑curious, playful, zipping around like maniacs.
At one point we watched them playing with kelp underwater, tossing it around like sea puppies. Then they peeled off to surf the wake of a Seasat, one of our locally made autonomous vessels, because apparently even robots get dolphin fan clubs now.
We headed farther offshore and found over a thousand long‑beaked common dolphins stretched out in a long line — a full sweep formation, scanning the sea for food -one massive coordinated hunting squad. Everywhere you looked: fins, splashes, motion, LIFE.
San Diego’s waters are absolutely electric right now.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to get out here… this is it.
— Naturalist Alison
