Around 2,000 common dolphins were filmed ‘racing’ off the southern California coast on Monday. The whale watching group Newport Coastal Adventure made the video, showing dolphins swimming and leaping out of the water.
“Porpoising out of the water at a high rate of speed is the fastest mode of travel for dolphins,” Jessica Roame, marine education specialist for Newport Landing Whale Watching in Newport Beach, said in a statement.
“There is less resistance in the air than in water, which is why these dolphins move in this way when they’re in a hurry,” she said.
Roame explained the dolphins could be trying to get away from a predator, searching for food or reaching another pod, although it’s not entirely known why they behave this way.