Got my wish, surrounded by dolphins.

[SUPcheat]

I have always wanted to wind up in the middle of a dolphin pod out there, but they always seem to be way out in the kelp.  Yesterday, I got my wish.  There must have been a nice dolphin buffet fairly close in at Privates, I found myself with dolphins a few feet away from my board bobbing in the waves and diving and surfacing.  It was really cool.

Then caught a "forever wave" shoulder high that took me down to Trees, it was like a dream.

Going out today in the "big stuff", hope I don't get clobbered, helmet day.

[J-Bird]

Nice!

[SuppaTime]

Many years ago I was windsurfing off Mukillteo, which is 30 miles north of Seattle. Just as I launched a pod of killer whales came by, about 100 yards off shore, swimming from Possession Sound to Puget Sound. It was a large pod and took several minutes to pass. I avoided the pod by a hasty retreat but if I had launched a minute or two earlier I would have been in the middle of the pod. Not sure what they would have done.

[pdxmike]

SUPcheat--lucky guy!  And SuppaTime--killer whales are the only thing that would top dolphins for me.  My dream is to see them myself in Penn Cove on Whidbey Island--they'd disappeared from there for decades after they were herded in and captured there in the 60s--finally they're coming back.  I think if I were you though, and got caught in the pod, I'd be saying to myself, "Their real name is orcas, their real name is orcas...."

[Twitchy]

This happens pretty frequently down here in Florida.  I SUS/SUP near an inlet/point that is called Porpoise Point.  We have tons of them.  Last Thursday evening I was out to catch some waves and was surrounded by 20+ dolphins.  About have were juvenile (3'-4').  The little guys came over within a board length and were rolling on their backs, splashing, and getting a little bit of air.  It was like I was watching 5 year old kids playing.  Usually when this happens I sit down and keep my paddle out of the water and enjoy the view.  After about 10 minutes the adults came over and one bumped my board.  This was the first time I started to worry.  They followed me after I vacated the area which worried me even more.  I was being stalked by the big guys  .  A few even came in to knee high water where I was getting out. 

Everyone on the beach (mostly tourist) was amazed.  I played it off like it was no big deal, but I was genuinely scared.  Don't get me wrong, I prefer the dolphins over the bulls, hammerheads, and spinners that are all over too, but this day I felt like I was about to be a rag doll toy.  Of course I didn't have my GoPro.  

[SUPcheat]

Haven't heard of anybody being attacked by dolphins, though I suppose they could give you a good bump.

It seems that the horny ones can try give you the "cuddle with the flashlight" business, that seems to be what you hear about.

[stoneaxe]

Sweet.....I have yet to have the pleasure. Hope it happens some day. Seals a plenty and close enough to get whale snot on me but no dolphins yet.

[surfercook]

You in HI, Cheater? I LOVE dolphs, hands down my fav animal on earth. Spied a loner the other day here in the chilly spring waters here in Jers. I think he was a scout for the pod. GoPro was on da paddle!

[PonoBill]

Many years ago I was windsurfing off Mukillteo, which is 30 miles north of Seattle. Just as I launched a pod of killer whales came by, about 100 yards off shore, swimming from Possession Sound to Puget Sound. It was a large pod and took several minutes to pass. I avoided the pod by a hasty retreat but if I had launched a minute or two earlier I would have been in the middle of the pod. Not sure what they would have done.

They would have hung out with you. I did two week trip in Puget Sound many years ago with a rotomolded no name windsurfer I bought from West Marine pulling a life raft with camping and spearfishing gear, Had pods of Orcas around me several times. They just hung out, figuring out WTF I was doing, then left. Probably laughing at my poor man's yacht.

Twitchy--no reason to fear dolphins. Even when the japanese murder them in the hundreds they don't become aggressive. I don't know that I could be so civilized, if I saw that in person I'd probably wind up in jail.

[Tom]

I got to SUP with an orca on Baja. Took me a while to figure out what that tall dorsal fin was that I got a quick glimpse of until I saw it surface.

[SUPcheat]

There's a youtube vid of a pair of orcas dragging a guy off the beach .  They just slid up and grabbed him tuits sui, he was a goner.



Most reports are that killer whales have no interest in humans as food, and often are playful/curious, but that video one made me think that anything could turn on a moment's notice.

[SuppaTime]

"Their real name is orcas, their real name is orcas...."

Yes, I should know better after living in the PNW for 35+ years.

[pdxmike]

"Their real name is orcas, their real name is orcas...."

Yes, I should know better after living in the PNW for 35+ years.

There's nothing wrong with calling them killer whales, I'd just prefer to be surrounded by "orcas" than "killer whales".  But if I were telling people about it afterwards, they'd go back to being "killer whales".