Bottlenose Dolphins Put on Quite a Show for Whale Watchers off San Diego Coast
If you've ever been whale watching, of course you hope to see whales but probably had just as much fun watching the dolphins that cruise along next to the boat. Whale watchers in San Diego were in for quite a treat recently when a pod of bottlenose dolphins stole the show by leaping 20 feet out of the water to the delight of everyone on board. ABC World News shared the video on Thursday, August 22nd and it's worth checking out.
David Muir starts off by saying, "They came for the whales and stayed for the dolphins." After watching the video, you'll see why! Make sure to watch to the end to hear Captain Domenic Biagini talk more about the incredible sight.
Muir says in the video that marine biologists think that dolphins leap so high out of the ocean waters to communicate, navigate, hunt, and even play. I hope they were playing because it looks like they were having a lot of fun doing it! Fans of ABC World News had a lot to say about the leaping dolphins. Hundreds of people left comments about how beautiful they were to watch. @Barbie said, "Beautiful. Mother Nature never disappoints!" and @Rhonda Johnson said simply, "Joy = Dolphin". I couldn't agree more!
Related: Backflipping Dolphin Delights Whale Watchers in Monterey Bay
Fascinating Facts About Dolphins
Dolphins are one of my favorite ocean animals and they're quite remarkable ones. After writing about pets and animals over the last couple of years, I've learned a lot of cool random facts that are fun to share. One of my favorites has to do with the way that dolphins sleep, and you'll probably find it fascinating too!
When dolphins go to sleep, their brains don't shut completely down. Dolphins experience what is called "unihemispheric sleep" which prevents them from drowning. While us humans breath without even thinking about it, dolphins have a "voluntary respiratory system" and have to remain conscious so that they can use their blowhole to get air. Because of this, they only using half of their brain while sleeping - they close the eye opposite of the side of the brain they are using...they are quite literally half asleep!
For the most part, dolphins tend to sleep at night, but only for a couple of hours at a time. Dolphins sleep in a few different positions; they either rest quietly while being still in the water and floating vertically or horizontally, or they sleep while swimming slowly next to another animal. A deeper form of sleep that they fall into is called logging, because when they sleep that way, they look like a log floating on top of the water.
Who knew that the way that an animal sleeps could be so interesting! I never thought about how marine animals actually sleep and find it fascinating that dolphins (and a few others) have figured out how to do it on the go. It's pretty incredible!
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
