Dolphin stampede

Bait O' Eggs · 08-11-2003, 07:51 AM

While fishing Sunday, we came upon a Dolphin stampede. :shocked: :shocked:

Corrirod spots water breaking off to the side and we head in that direction hoping to find feeding tuna. We find ourself in the middle of a stretch of dolphins that had to be 1/2 mile wide and at least a couple hundred yards deep of nothing but dolphins running right on the surface. Dolphins were jumping everywhere, tons of dorsal fins out of the water doing 30 mph or more. It is hard to estimate the size of the herd, flock, school, covey or what ever you call a gaggle of dolphins

I would guess at around 1000, as they were everywhere. We threw the lines in the water hoping that they were feeding and tuna were feeding with them. We never touch a fish.

How those dolphins got thru our hooks without becoming accidentally hooked is beyond me.

Pretty cool experience seeing all the dolphins do there thing. After trying to take pictures

of them running with the boat, which is harder than I thought as we bumped along, they were gone in a flash. To go from so many fish breaking the surface to nothing is like a vanishing trick of a magician.

On the way in we saw several whales, sharks, sun fish ......

OceanBlue · 08-11-2003, 07:55 AM

Ooooh! I have goosebumps now! Last year fishing on the Pilar, with the Puffin as wingman, we came upon a similar scene. As far as the eye could see, dolphins were headed in an easterly direction. What a sight. We had a similar thought about TUNA! And started getting gear ready, but actually, I think they dolphins or porpoise keep the TUNA! down deep. They feed on TUNA! Don't they? Anyway, I'm all for keeping the gear in the boat when we find my friends out there. I'd hate to hook one.

I hear they fight pretty good, though (ask Krystalflash) :grin:

08-11-2003, 07:59 AM

Dahl or Pacific Grey?

Gus Orviston · 08-11-2003, 08:07 AM

POD

Bait O' Eggs · 08-11-2003, 08:22 AM

We first saw a small group that we fished thru, then we pulled lines and continued on our way to the tuna grounds, and found the big bunch minutes later. We didnt have the lines in the water thru the big "pod"

We were doing probably mid 20'ish mph and they were cutting in and around us like we were standing still.

Keta - I wouldnt know a dahl from a grey to a pink one, :whazzup: ...... well I might be able to identify a pink one if they were named for obvious reasons

OceanBlue · 08-11-2003, 08:43 AM

BOE: A dahl looks like a mini-orca - they're porpoise.

Rip'N'Lips · 08-11-2003, 09:06 AM

We saw them too... about 3 mile short of the chicken ranch we stopped to you know.. add to the water volume and immediately they started jumping. They were moving so fast you could barely see them. You had to just look at one spot and wait for them to jump. It was awesome.. I said "they look like small killer whales"... glad to see I wasn't seeing things.

Rip'N'Lips

Longfin · 08-11-2003, 10:08 AM

Yesterday on the way in at Coos Bay we came across a pod of about 6 porpoise which I've never seen in Oregon before. They were black 6 feet long and had a white belly. They also were the friendliest I've ever witnessed they came to our boat and circled it for about 5 minutes as we were in neutral. The coolest thing I've seen out of porpoise so far.. Does anybody know what kind of porpoise these were?

Gus Orviston · 08-11-2003, 10:28 AM

Ok, I work my rear end off this weekend, moved 2 tons of boulders around the house to make borders for the kids play area , I didn't get to fish, or even think about fishing :depressed: . I am sore, tired, and I wake up to this thread...."Dolphin Stampeded" :shocked: I am thinking, who the heck is babbling about a dolphin stampede. Who else ...BOE, go figure.

I think to myself as I walk to the truck to head to work...What is that Tillamook Cowboy going to come up with next time

Yes, it is a POD, you would think growing up on the coast would have taught you.... ah never mind.

me again

Bait O' Eggs · 08-11-2003, 10:38 AM

Hey "me again"

when you come over be sure to remind me to introduce you to my friend Danner. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Gus Orviston · 08-11-2003, 12:13 PM

All size 3 of it [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

corrirod · 08-11-2003, 12:21 PM

Absolutely amazing is all I can say!

They were Dahl's and what a sight! Jen, I too saw them last summer all lined up and heading east but this was different because they were all in a huge ball just jumping and skimming. And by jumping I do mean jumping, clear out of the water and I managed to see one actually do a flip! Several of them "jumped" off of my bow which I had never seen before. Usually they just surface and skim just under the water but these where actually jumping as high as 5 ft. out of the water.

Then we finished the trip by seeing 2 different pods of pilot whales blowing and raising their tails!

Now tell me again why I like to go play on the ocean so much? hehehe.

Popeye · 08-11-2003, 12:30 PM

Rod,
We headed down to Heceta Banks yesterday, and had Pilot whales Breaching, right next to the boat! :shocked: It WAS beautiful, but also a little nerve racking to Julie. :grin:

08-11-2003, 03:26 PM

I was trolling off the east side of Prince of Wales Island just weset of Chasina Point ahd had a humpnack surface and blow about 20' from the 18' boat er were in. The same week we were trolling about 15 miles north and were surounded by a pod of Orca. The closest was only 15' from the boat. I had two friends that said they had humpbacks surface under theit 16' Lund and give them a ride!

I LOVE THE OCEAN!

fishwhenican · 08-11-2003, 06:56 PM

We were running out of Whale Bay (WOT 8 kts) on the west side of Baronof island when 3 grey (or humpback) whales surfaced by the boat. Then they moved 1 on the right, 1 on the left and 1 in front. They stayed with the boat for about 15 minutes as they escorted us out of the bay. I guess they thought it was their bay :grin:

ANDYCOHO · 08-11-2003, 07:58 PM

Here is a couple of pictures of some Dolphins from my last tuna run.

Those little buggers sure are hard to catch on camera.