How to Spot Dolphins

Pelicans, Gulls, Cormorants and Dolphins all mixed together! If you're looking for dolphins, look for the birds first. The birds gather to take advantage of the dolphins efforts at herding fish into a tight school, making an easy meal for the birds! The birds act as a beacon for you to spot the dolphins as the birds congregate in numbers and in mixed groups that would not otherwise occur. Then, if you watch the water, you will see occasional spouts and fins pop up. The same "bird trick" holds true for spotting schools of tuna or other large ocean carnivores that herd bait fish into tight schools or "bait balls." Where there are birds, there is typically something down below herding the bait fish.

Pelican Days

Pelican flying low over the river. This pelican was hunting for fish at the surface and would periodically dive into the river with some crazy, neck wrenching, giant splash.

Sometimes it's just nice to hang out and watch the birds. No stress, no craziness, just the sun sparkling on the water and the birds doing what birds do.

Pelican Moment

Pelecanus occidentalis californicus. Whew. Brown Pelican. Oddly enough, they are not brown at all. There's no telling with common names. Looks grey and white to me. The Latin name means Western Pelican. Nothing wrong there. They were endangered for a while, apparently because DDT had caused their eggs to crack. They have since recovered and are quite plentiful along the coast and are not above begging for fish scraps in back of fishing boats.