Dolphin Charging... ?

119

Rant - Dolphin Charging... ?

Wondering if anyone else out there has had this happen recently: was surfing near a street with the same name as a central american dictator this morning and saw two dolphins sprinting south on the outside. Looked left and saw a decent sized fin gunning straight at me almost perpendicular to shore, about 15-20 feet away. Put my feet up and jumped into the whitewash and tried to get inside as quickly as possible. It was hard to tell, but my first thought was "landlord", but after some reflection on the way in and back on shore I suspect it was actually a dolphin. I asked a grom if he had seen anything because he had been near me and got out around the same time, and he told me the exact same thing happened to him recently up at K cove. Has anyone else had this happen or seen this happen? I remember the Dusty Payne incident last year. Not sure why it would have charged like that?

Rant by cyclona23

18 comments

JHouse
36 weeks ago

Probably because it was a dolphin.

cyclona23
36 weeks ago

thanks, jackass.

sticker
36 weeks ago

I see dolphins charging waves all the time. As a result, I have had them charge right at me on occasion, but thankfully, (1) it was clear early on it was a dolphin, and (2) it never actually got that close.

He was prolly just going in for a hi-5 & is now a sad dolphin that you bailed on him.

#thumbnail

cyclona23
36 weeks ago

Yeah, that's the thing -- it wasnt in a wave at all. We were in the trough between waves in a set, and it was charging at me perpendicular to shore, i.e. not in any way surfing.

sticker
36 weeks ago

Still not surprising behavior.

Besides, men in grey suits don't normally let you know they're coming.

SFOBKnewb
36 weeks ago

probably just chasing bait fish. They generally try to corral them into shallower water to make them easier to catch. I though one was gonna land on top of me last week after jumping out of the water.

mlanson
36 weeks ago

There were so many dolphins today near that street. I sometimes I try to paddle with them, got pretty close today.

mlanson
36 weeks ago

Also, dolphins have been known to chase sharks away. I doubt you'd see them together. But what do I know.

DRang
36 weeks ago

@mlanson... over the past few years there have been several encounters preempted by dolphins being in the area, except they were acting erratic and splashing tails close to surfers. Probably to let them know to get out of there. I too subscribe to the theory that dolphins mean no landlords, but that doesn't seem to be 100% true - although it helps me justify it when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up...

hurricanewe
36 weeks ago

There's been tons of dolphins out lately thrashing after eats and playing around people out in the water, which is totally normal for this time of year. I've seen some big ones too, which I suppose could initially be misleading. It's bait ball season. Of course, this can attract bigger fish too, but honestly whites are generally so big that I'd presume if one was gunning straight on for you there'd be a wake and/or boil accompanying it. Also, as suggested earlier, they tend to attack from below. It may have just been hard for you to identify fin curvature due to the angle. Hopefully it was nothing...

fatnewt
36 weeks ago

Crab.

cyclona23
36 weeks ago

Thanks... there was definitely a wake and it was plenty large. I like the "chasing bait fish" explanation. Definitely dolphin. Probably had nothing to do with me. Yeah. Yeah.

b_handley
36 weeks ago

it was an attempted rape.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091225004556AARIHu4

cyclona23
36 weeks ago

wow "dolphin rape cave". thanks for the link. bonus points for creepy avatar.

Cbrody
36 weeks ago

definitly a shark, go away kook

mlanson
36 weeks ago

I just edited my comment. No sense in spreading the hate.

paddleout
36 weeks ago

Dolphins have been ON IT lately. This morning featured a big boy FIRING straight at me, midface maybe 30 feet away. He and his podmates claimed the biggest set of the day and he was going SOOOO fast. Two-three went by maybe 2-5 feet away, I lifted my feet on the one that passed under my board. Dunno, seems aggressive, but they haven't hit anybody (yet?). They were going 20 knots plus. Amazing, I was flapping for about 20 minutes afterwards. Always glad to see them -who's going to mess with those torpedos?

mlanson
36 weeks ago

Lies and fear mongering! Dolphins love us. Unless you are rude and drunk:

According to the National Geographic program Dolphin Attack, there is one confirmed case of a bottlenose dolphin killing an adult human male. However, it was a provoked attack. The wild dolphin was swimming close to the shore, and the man who saw it and waded in to get closer was drunk. The dolphin was apparently friendly, rolling over and allowing him to touch and stroke it, but he then tormented or hit it. The dolphin retaliated with a single ramming, before swimming away for good. The man died of internal injuries in hospital some hours later.