Imagine setting out to watch whales and stumbling upon an ocean teeming with thousands of something unexpected.
Two thousand dolphins, their sleek bodies glinting in the sun as they leapt, splashed, and turned the sea into a living carnival. For one Northern California crew, this whimsical scene wasn’t a daydream — it was a reality that left them breathless, grinning, and maybe even a little misty-eyed.
Evan Brodsky, a boat captain and videographer with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, recently found himself on a mission that started with gray whales and ended with an aquatic surprise. After hours of scanning Monterey Bay’s tranquil waters with minimal luck, Brodsky felt an inexplicable urge to linger. “I kind of just take a glance and scan the horizon, and maybe about a mile and a half from us the water literally looked like it was boiling,” Brodsky said.
A rare superpod of thousands of dolphins was spotted swimming off the coast of Monterey Bay, Calif. Photo by Monterey Bay Whale Watch
It was foaming. There were so many dolphins there.”
What began as a small pod of 15 dolphins soon multiplied into a staggering super pod of over 2,000 northern right whale dolphins and Pacific white-sided dolphins, their synchronized breaches and playful antics stretching across miles. “[Today], we were out again conducting a survey on the area when we came across a super pod of a mind-blowing 2000+ northern right whale dolphins mixed with Pacific white-sided dolphins spread out for miles as far as we could see!!” the team shared in a Facebook post.
Northern right whale dolphins, known for their lack of dorsal fins and sleek, seal-like silhouettes, are rarely seen in such colossal groups. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these dolphins typically travel in pods of 100 to 200, making this gathering a marine marvel. “At sea, they are sometimes mistaken for herds of fur seals and sea lions due to their dark, streamlined body,” NOAA stated.
Brodsky’s drone footage captured the pod’s magic: calves swimming alongside mothers, dolphins crisscrossing the bay like underwater comets, and the occasional “flying eyebrow” (a term Brodsky coined for their arched leaps). “They’re all smooth,” he said, laughing. “When they jump, they look like flying eyebrows.”
A rare superpod of thousands of dolphins was spotted swimming off the coast of Monterey Bay, Calif. Photo by Monterey Bay Whale Watch
For marine biologist Colleen Talty, the sight of baby dolphins was a highlight. “We don’t always see baby dolphins,” she said, “so that’s pretty nice.” The crew, careful not to disrupt the pod, observed from a distance as the dolphins curiously approached their boat. “The whole time we were just saying, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, this is so amazing, I can’t believe this,’” Brodsky said.
Though Brodsky had filmed a 1,500-strong Risso’s dolphin pod weeks earlier, this encounter felt uniquely thrilling. “It’s like the first time every time,” he said. “We were so excited it was hard to hold in our emotions. We had the biggest grins from ear to ear.”
Monterey Bay’s underwater canyon, rich with nutrients, likely drew the super pod. “Winter is still the best time of year to have a chance at encountering big pods of dolphins,” the team noted. For Brodsky, the experience was a reminder of the ocean’s endless capacity to astonish. “It’s the best feeling,” he said. “It’s indescribable.”
