These small cetaceans gather by the
hundreds and sometimes the thousands in the waters off California and in
the Gulf of California between Baja and mainland Mexico. On a calm day
it is not unusual to hear their approach before you actually see them,
as a large pod can churn the ocean into a boiling sea with their
passing. Individuals can be very acrobatic, but I believe some of my
best images are of the animals in their groups. I use both a medium
range telephoto for individuals and a wide angle for filming pod
formations. As with all quick moving cetaceans a fast shutter speed is
needed to freeze the action.
The name Common Dolphin can be
very misleading (in my opinion there is nothing very common about these
wonderful animals at all). Until recently scientist thought that there
was only one species of Common Dolphin worldwide. Due to differences in
the shape and length of the beak, where they are found, and even with
some of their behaviors, scientists now classify two different species
of Common Dolphins. The images above are the long-beaked Common Dolphin
(Delphinus capensis) and are taken in the Gulf of California.
Notice the length of the rostrum, the muted coloration, and the slimmer
profile when compared to the short-beaked Common Dolphin images below.
These images are of the
short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis); they are taken
off the coast of California. Notice the more robust body, the
complicated and distinct color pattern, and of course the shorter beak.
These animals seem to prefer offshore waters and often gather in-groups
of hundreds of individuals.
TIPS FOR COMMON DOLPHIN PHOTOGRAPHS: A
fast moving and very social dolphin, plan on fast shutter speeds (at
least 1/500th of a second). It is very challenging to isolate
one individual from a group of animals for a tight portrait, but it can
be done. Try to anticipate the next leap based on where the last one
ended. Commons will often bow ride and follow in a boat’s wake. This
makes it a little easier to anticipate leaps. Group images can be very
rewarding as well. I use a 20mm-35mm zoom for group shots. As with all
dolphin photography, try to shoot from a position on the boat as low to
the waters’ surface as you safely can. This helps bring the animal “out
of the water” with a background of sky rather than more water. It helps
with the feeling of “catching air” as a dolphin leaps. I like Fuji
RDPIII ISO 100 speed to maximize shutter speeds and depth of field.
