Tourists aboard a ship sailing off the coast of San Diego on Thursday came across a spectacular display of wild life as a "super mega-pod" of thousands of dolphins swam up the coast, NBC 7 San Diego reports.
"They were coming from all directions, you could see them from as far as the eye can see," said Capt. Joe Dutra of Hornblower Cruises, who spotted the pod that morning during his daily tour and described it as seven miles long and five miles wide.
"I've seen a lot of stuff out here... but this is the biggest I've ever seen, ever," he added.
A passenger on board recorded the magnificent scene of common dolphins swimming in the ocean with a rising sun hanging over the horizon. Spectators were awestruck to what appeared as a school of young and adult common dolphins numbering roughly 100,000, Dutra said.
"They're definitely social animals, they stick together in small groups," Marine mammal expert Sarah Wilkin said.
Wilkin noted that a typical school is made up off 200 dolphins, "But sometimes, the schools come together."
The reason behind the "mega-pod" says Wilkin is the bountiful food supply at this time of the year. She says the dolphins were drawn toward sardines, herring and squid in the area.
The video of the dolphins can be seen below.
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