1500 instead of 20! Special dolphin species makes for an extremely rare sight

California (USA) - An impressive natural spectacle that you don't see every day! Not far from the Californian coast, a so-called school of round-headed dolphins was recently observed (see below). The special thing about it: The sea creatures were traveling in a much larger group than they normally are.

1500 Risso's dolphins in one school? A real rarity! (symbolic photo)
1500 Risso's dolphins in one school? A real rarity! (symbolic photo)  © IMAGO / blickwinkel

Also known as Risso's dolphins, they are not necessarily the most beautiful of all toothed whale species. They are usually white-grey in color, grow to around four meters long and weigh hundreds of kilos. Their eponymous, large head with a sloping forehead is striking.

But when they are traveling in a school of 1,500, it is still a great sight for whale researchers and marine animal lovers! That's why the "Monterey Bay Whale Watch" team was so excited when they spotted and filmed just such a huge group last Friday.

"Check out this SUPER school of over 1500 roundhead dolphins that our exploration boat spent time with in Carmel Bay yesterday," the whale researchers wrote in a video uploaded to Instagram.

"I think they were on the horizon as far as I could see," Evan Brodsky, the boat's captain, said enthusiastically in an interview with the AP news agency this week.

Normally, Risso's dolphins travel in much smaller pods of only 10 to 30 animals.

1500 specimens! Video shows huge school of round-headed dolphins

Marine biologist: As if the dolphins are having a "big party"

"They just had a great time. They were jumping up everywhere, flapping their tails and coming straight to the boat. It looked like they were having a big party," reported marine biologist Colleen Talty. It was a "pretty amazing" sight to see so many dolphins swimming together.

She assumes that the "super school" of young and old dolphins was formed when several normal-sized groups came together. Something like this does not happen often, Talty emphasized.