Hundreds of dolphins delight tour group in 'stampede' off Dana Point

Saturday, March 12, 2016
DANA POINT, Calif. -- A tour boat of whale watchers were treated to a rare sight off the Dana Point coast on Thursday, as hundreds of dolphins were spotted porpoising at high speed in the ocean.


Porpoising - in which marine mammals jump repeatedly above the surface as they swim rapidly - helps dolphins swim faster because of the lower resistance in air than water.

The behavior can happen at any time and without any apparent cause.
[Ads /]
The dolphin stampede was captured on video by Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari. The tour company says Southern California has a greater density of dolphins per square mile than any other location worldwide.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.