Whale watching may be all the rage in California, but there's another group of ocean mammals that recently put on quite a show for boaters.
Hundreds of dolphins, all members of a mega pod, were seen last week in a "stampede" just off the coast of Dana Point, about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Dana Wharf Whale Watching posted video of the incredible encounter, which shows countless dolphins diving in and out of the water. The epic event was witnessed by people aboard the tour agency's boat.
"Today's Dolphin stampede was one for the books! We've seen quite a few of them but this is exceptionally beautiful," the agency wrote on Instagram on Sept. 21.
The post went on to say that the mega pod of common dolphins could be seen "for well over a half a mile in any direction."
"At one point they took off in a dolphin stampede as the concentration of dolphins came together and headed out to sea," the agency said.
The group also encountered a fluking Humpback and a swimming swordfish while out at sea, the post added.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, short-beaked common dolphins are usually found in large social groups averaging hundreds of individuals. Occasionally, the dolphins are seen in larger groups — known as mega-pods — consisting of thousands of animals (up to 10,000 individuals).
It's common to find the dolphins swimming alongside ships, leaping out of the water at high speeds, flipping end-over-end, and somersaulting in the air, NOAA says. The animals are abundant off California year-round from nearshore to about 300 miles offshore