We were cruising slowly along with a small pod of common dolphin in the middle of a glorious day on the Santa Barbara Channel, a few miles this side of Santa Cruz Island.
My charter passengers were enthralled with the dolphin focusing on our boat and coming so close that occasionally someone could reach way down and feel their fingertips brush the back of one of the curious critters. It was a happy day.
This interaction went on for a good 20 minutes, and the dolphin seemed happy to stay with us, ride our bow and stern waves and watch us as we watched them. Then in a heartbeat, they were gone.
They didn’t appear to lose interest, they just vanished as quick as you can say “Poof!” I furrowed my brow and stroked my mustache thoughtfully.
My eyebrows shot up when my deckhand yelled, “Dolphin on the swimstep!”
That was a surprise because they don’t like to leave the water except for jumping, and they definitely don’t like to ride on boats. Not only that, but that is pushing the whole trust thing way too far. They do not want to put themselves in a totally vulnerable position around us, and I understand the wisdom of their instincts.
Spinning around to take a look, I saw a second dolphin bolt out of the water and onto the swimstep. They both seemed to keep one eye on the water and one eye on the people in the boat. That could only mean one thing.
I circled slowly, watching in all directions. After a minute, a tall dorsal fin cut the water and I heard the distinctive exhale of an orca. That is what drove the dolphin up onto our swimstep — the most cunning predator in the ocean.
A pod of orca can corral almost any critter into a vulnerable position, then make mincemeat of the hapless prey. A dolphin would make a tasty lunch for a hungry orca.
An orca could probably put its nose right up onto my swimstep and snatch those dolphin, perhaps busting up an outboard motor and the transom of the boat during the process. So, I turned out of the circle pattern I had been steering and throttled up.
That spooked the dolphin, but they stayed put, until I was a few hundred yards away from the orca sighting. Then both dolphin turned and slid into the propwash which would help mask their entry into the water. It was a winning strategy for the dolphin.
The passengers cheered the outcome. Me, I furrowed my brow and stroked my mustache again.
Dolphin are my favorite critters and I knew I was saving them when I took action. But I have a soft spot in my heart for a hungry predator, and I have immense respect for orcas. So, I wasn’t so sure how I felt about that outcome.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
