Is this anything?

Fish & Invertebrate sightings and descriptions, hosted by resident NWDC ID expert Janna Nichols (nwscubamom).
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dlh
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Is this anything?

Post by dlh »

I had the pleasure of diving with Bandito's Charters today off of North Wall. We were lucky to have an extra Dive Buddy join the group and dive along side us. A very friendly and curious Pacific Whiteside Dolphin!
-Zee's and North Wall Feb 7 2015-5.jpg
-Zee's and North Wall Feb 7 2015-9.jpg
-Zee's and North Wall Feb 7 2015-10.jpg
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YellowEye
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by YellowEye »

Epic!!!
Too cool!
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Scubie Doo
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by Scubie Doo »

Dave, those pics are awesome! What a great encounter. Did you have your WA lens on?
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dlh
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by dlh »

Shot with a Nikon D800 and 16-35mm lens.

This was the first time after about 15 years that I have ever encountered dolphins underwater in Puget Sound. Is this indeed uncommon or am I just unlucky?

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Dusty2
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by Dusty2 »

Very uncommon. In my 12 years of diving I've never seen one!
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ljjames
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by ljjames »

You are one lucky shooter! I'm envious :)

That little dolphin looks like he escaped the sharp end of some Biggs whales. (transient, blubber ball eating killer whales) It's got scuffs that almost look like teeth rakings and chunks that seem a bit aby-normal, but i'm no a mammal expert by a long shot. May I forward these on to my much much smarter than me friends who do whale research?
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dlh
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by dlh »

Certainly, pass them on. The notches in the pectoral fins are pretty distinctive. Apparently this individual has been seen hanging around the area for a few months. Must be a rough neighborhood.
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by ScubaJess »

This is crazy cool Dave!!! You are so lucky!
Great photos! :-)
I hope to dive with you again soon! We can now call you the Dolpin whisperer! :)
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Hoodsport_Diver
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by Hoodsport_Diver »

Great shots, Dave!

I'm totally envious. That lil fella looks awful friendly.

I hope to dive with you again sometime on Thursday PM.
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mpenders
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by mpenders »

Very cool encounter and pics, Dave. Thanks for sharing.
dlh wrote:This was the first time after about 15 years that I have ever encountered dolphins underwater in Puget Sound. Is this indeed uncommon or am I just unlucky?
I've never seen them underwater, either. However, I once had an "escort" by several dolphins (no idea on species) while fishing/trolling around the Point Defiance/Owen's Beach area. This was about 10 years ago, at dusk in late summer - truly a fantastic experience.
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nwscubamom
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by nwscubamom »

dlh wrote:Shot with a Nikon D800 and 16-35mm lens.
This was the first time after about 15 years that I have ever encountered dolphins underwater in Puget Sound. Is this indeed uncommon or am I just unlucky?
Dave
Oh yeah, SUPER common to see these underwater. About as common as the Gray Whale sighting recently at Redondo.
;)

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dlh
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Re: Is this anything?

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nwscubamom wrote:
dlh wrote:Shot with a Nikon D800 and 16-35mm lens.
This was the first time after about 15 years that I have ever encountered dolphins underwater in Puget Sound. Is this indeed uncommon or am I just unlucky?
Dave
Oh yeah, SUPER common to see these underwater. About as common as the Gray Whale sighting recently at Redondo.
;)

- Janna
I guess I ought to start turning around a bit more often and see what's out in the open. Who knows what swims by when I'm not looking - Whales, Mola Mola, Trident Nuclear Submarines, etc.
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by nwscubamom »

dlh wrote:I guess I ought to start turning around a bit more often and see what's out in the open. Who knows what swims by when I'm not looking - Whales, Mola Mola, Trident Nuclear Submarines, etc.
May I just say how COOL THAT WAS??? And such great shots too. I think you are the only person I've ever known to get shots underwater with them. So jealous!

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LCF
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by LCF »

That's incredible! In almost ten years of diving, I've never seen them underwater here, and only once I have seen them from a boat.
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BillZ
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by BillZ »

Way cool Dave!
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by ljjames »

Here is reply from my whale researcher friend... I answered him that it was same dolphin in all pictures.
Thanks for the pictures. Do you know whether this is one dolphin with wounds on both pectoral fins, or one with a wound on the left and another with a wound on the right?

I don't think they were nipped by transients. Whales usually leave parallel tooth marks, and I don't see any evidence of that. It looks like there's a little scarring toward the front of the fins, as though they might have gotten tangled in a line or net. There are dolphin tooth marks visible on the body, so getting nicked by another dolphin is a possibility (and a probability for the nicks on the dorsal fin and flukes).
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by kdupreez »

Woa! you are one lucky son of gun!! Damn!

very very very cool! :joshsmith:
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dlh
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Re: Is this anything?

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ljjames wrote:Here is reply from my whale researcher friend... I answered him that it was same dolphin in all pictures.
Thanks for the pictures. Do you know whether this is one dolphin with wounds on both pectoral fins, or one with a wound on the left and another with a wound on the right?

I don't think they were nipped by transients. Whales usually leave parallel tooth marks, and I don't see any evidence of that. It looks like there's a little scarring toward the front of the fins, as though they might have gotten tangled in a line or net. There are dolphin tooth marks visible on the body, so getting nicked by another dolphin is a possibility (and a probability for the nicks on the dorsal fin and flukes).
Yes, it was just one dolphin. Thanks for sharing the report!
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Tom Nic
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Re: Is this anything?

Post by Tom Nic »

Absolute sweetness! What a spectacular encounter!
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