Mesmerizing dolphin video shows ‘superpod’ of at least 1,000 off California coast

A group of whale watchers stumbled upon a “superpod” of dolphins off the coast of Laguna Beach, California, on Saturday and caught the incredible encounter on video.

The private charter led by Newport Coastal Adventures came across an estimated 1,000 common dolphins chasing fish that evening, the company said online.

“Common dolphin” refers to two species: short-beaked and long-beaked common dolphins, the Ocean Institute reported.

Video posted to the company’s Facebook page shows countless dolphins bounding out of the water as they swim, their fins peeking up through the waves for as far as the eye can see.

The whale watching boat moves slowly behind them as they swim.

Ryan Lawler said the dolphins were packed tightly together as they fed and chased anchovies, The Orange County Register reported.

“You don’t see it every day, you don’t see a pod that impressive,” he told the newspaper. “When there’s a ton of food, they all form together for a superpod … it’s super impressive.”

Most pods seen off the coast of Orange County typically have only a few hundred dolphins, KABC reported. However, common dolphins can sometimes be found in pods of up to 10,000, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Larger pods are believed to be made up of subgroups of 20 to 30 dolphins that are either grouped by relation or by sex and age, NOAA reported.

This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Mesmerizing dolphin video shows ‘superpod’ of at least 1,000 off California coast."