Sea creatures ‘burst into travel mode’ off California coast. See the photos

Boaters off the coast of California were captivated by a plethora of sea creatures, making the experience “one for the books.”

Passengers went out about 11 miles from the shore and came across a “massive bird pile” before getting closer and seeing “a tall, columnar spout,” according to a Sept. 4 Facebook post by San Diego Whale Watch.

More than 400 long-beaked common dolphins were in the area chasing fish, the group said.

Passengers got “amazing looks” of the dolphins as they zoomed around the group, even seeing several pairs of calves, boaters said.

Two fin whales traveling together were spotted, and boaters watched them swim within 10 feet from each other, the group said.

The whale pair crossed the boat’s bow before speeding up and deciding to “burst into travel mode,” passengers said.

The onlookers got the chance to see one of the defining features of the whales — the lower right white jaw, the group said.

Later in the day, the group knew it needed to go back to the “hotspot zone” and ended up seeing a fin whale surface, passengers said.

The group got to see over 1,000 dolphins from five pods, allowing a view from “pod to pod,” passengers said.

The day ended with the group getting good looks of the fin whale as it followed the dolphin pod, passengers said.

This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Sea creatures ‘burst into travel mode’ off California coast. See the photos."