2018 has been full of drab news program about cetacean mammal . From the report card that northwestern Pacific Orca population are ata 30 - class low , to the annunciation that no North Atlanticright whale were bornduring the critically engendered species ’ calving season , to the departure of documents showing that333 Antarctic minke whaleswere butcher in the name of “ research ” , there is an unsettling abundance of reason to be concerned for these hyper - intelligent marine mammals .

But not every species is struggle , as a fantastic new video from theMonterey Bay Aquariumwonderfully showcases .

Despite the extreme impact human activities have on ocean ecosystem , theshort - beaked vulgar dolphinis still , well , mutual throughout its mountain range . The famously energetic and athletic 1.5- to 2.4 - meter ( 5- to 8 - feet ) long creatures are found throughout the Mediterranean , the tropical to temperate H2O of the Pacific , the Mid - Atlantic , and the southeast Indian Ocean .

An extremely social dolphinfish , common dolphins subsist in monumental grouping – also love as superpods – of hundreds to several thousand individual . With such a larger number of mouths to run , superpods tend to seek out the ecologically plentiful home ground that mold around areas of seasonal inhuman water system - upwelling .

As you might have guessed , one such biologic hotspot is Monterey Bay . In the above scene , captured by Patrick Webster on September 7 , hundred of common dolphin are graciously swim and leaping in coordination as they work to corral a school of Pisces the Fishes that they have cornered in shallow waters not far from the resort - dotted beachline .

" The outcome is n’t rare per se — it ’s a annual happening , we have seen these superpods from the back deck at the Monterey Bay Aquarium this time of year before , " Webster , the aquarium ’s societal media content Jehovah , told NPR . " However , it is moderately rare to see them this close to shore and so promptly discernible by hoi polloi , these assemblage are often found means offshore . "

According toNOAA ,   goodish superpods live off the California coast twelvemonth - orotund . In maritime areas with less systematically abundant ecosystems , common dolphins must move around much more .

[ H / T : NPR ]