Dumb Question

[seaside2]

OK, so we've been sitting on the SOWAL beach off and on for the past 25 years or so. We come in the spring, summer, fall and winter and sit on the beach weeks at a time. We read trashy books, drink cold things, stuff like that.

Almost every day, we see the dolphins pass by around 10:30 AM. They are always going from West to East (or so it seems).

Why?

OH, and when do they go back West?

 

[Smiling JOe]

I have no idea, and never thought about it, but the last dolphin I saw were going east. The are probably just following the fish and maybe in the mornings when you see them, the fish are swimming against the current hoping to sneak up on food. I have seen the dolphin swimming west in the mornings too. If aquaticBiologist was still on here, he could probably tell us.

 

[Beachbummette]

they are well trained !;-) "roll that beautiful dolphin footage"

i do see them swimming east at times.

 

[Phillip]

I am no dolphin expert, but I would guess that they are feeding on the fish that use the offshore current. The offshore current moves from east to west, so the dolphins are probably waiting on their food to come to them. Unlike people, dolphins do not like to make life any more complicated than it has to be......Interesting question. I would love to know the answer...

 

[shakennotstirred]

This doesn't answer your question but on my last visit I was eating breakfast at the kitchen table & watching dozens of dolphins swimming east. Usually they will swim past on their merry way & then the show is over. Except this time they were swimming back & forth. The water was extremely clear this day so you could see them from the 2nd floor of the condo. All of a sudden the dolphins starting working as a group & chasing a school of fish up & down the beach. I guess they were eating breakfast as well! A few of the dolphins were only a couple feet from shore. It was the coolest thing! I felt like I was watching Planet Earth on the Discovery channel.

 

[TreeFrog]

I've seen them going east around sunset.

 

[TNJed]

Watch for the birds that dive into the school of fish that the dolphins corral! That's just too cool.

BTW, I usually see dolphins heading west around 7:30am in Seacrest.

 

[seaside2]

Thanks to all.

Last year, there was a group of kids playing in the water about waist deep, the dolphins came by, circled around them for 20 minutes or so, apparently just playing and then they left, headed East. Really cool!!

I have also seen them chasing after fish, etc, making group circles to confuse the fish and feeding heavily on them.

I just have never seem them going West and have been on the beach from daylight to dark (and after).

Something to do later this year.

 

[NotnKansas]

About 5:45 the other morning I saw probably about 20 dolphins heading west to east.

Nice way to start your day!

CHEERS

 

[Smiling JOe]

Heading east