COMMON DOLPHIN Watching (Delphinus Delphis/Capensis)
Of the coast of Southern California, we have a resident pod of Common Dolphins, which means we can see them on almost every trip. In comparison to our whale species, the Common Dolphin is quite small, only reaching lengths of up to 8.5 feet and a maximum weight of 300 pounds. Common Dolphin are a toothed-whale and eat squid and small school fish. Other than their size, the tan/orange intricate coloration on the Common Dolphins is a great way to distinguish them from their cousins, the Bottlenose Dolphin.
Though they look very similar, there are actually two species of Common Dolphin: Short-Beaked and Long-Beaked. The only surefire way to tell the difference between the two is to see them side by side, which can occasionally happen on whale watching trips. Both sub-species can be found traveling in mega-pods of up to 1000 individuals, but are more frequently found in groups of 50-200.
Common Dolphins are active and playful and are far from being boat shy. In fact, most pods of Common Dolphin will swim right up to our boats to “bow-ride” and play in the wakes made by the boat.