Yesterday Jeff Tucker, Glen Rollins, and I went on a boat trip out of Potrero (the town next to Las Catalinas). We encountered a group of hundreds of spinner dolphins. They are so named because they seem to enjoy leaping into the air and spinning rapidly around.
It was a most amazing sight. And best of all, we got to get in the water and swim with them. They were heading in a particular direction, and were generally swimming easily along at a speed that we could pretty much match with flippers. At first they were staying down 20 or 30 feet under us, but then they seemed to sort of accept us and would come closer. There were SO many. It was an absolutely magical experience.
Spinner dolphins are a tropical, offshore species. A little reading tells me their dramatic spinning may but used by males to attract mates, or it may be useful in echo-location, plus it may just be play. Once again the richness of the natural world around Las Catalinas amazes me. Wow.
