Pacific white-sided dolphin
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
Pacific white-sided dolphins sweep into SoCal waters from the open North Pacific each winter in herds of hundreds — occasionally topping 2,000 animals — often mixing with common dolphins and riding the bow waves of whale-watching boats in tandem. A bold pale stripe running from eye to tail and chartreuse "suspender" patches on the flanks make them easy to identify even mid-leap.
About 1.1× as long as an average adult is tall.
A pacific white-sided dolphin runs about 6.5 ft. Drawn beside an average adult human — 5.7 ft standing, the CDC's own U.S. adult average.
Average adult human: 5.7 ft (5 ft 7 in), CDC NHANES U.S. adult average standing height.
Drawn to the same scale. 6.5 ÷ 5.7 ≈ 1.1.
The best available abundance estimate for this stock is roughly 35,000 animals (34,999, Becker et al. 2020), and NOAA reports no long-term trend in that number. Sightings vary a lot season to season and year to year, but the wider population is not known to be declining.NOAA Pacific White-sided Dolphin SAR, rev. 3/14/2022 source →
At a glance
Length/weight/lifespan/diet: NOAA Fisheries species page →
The best available abundance estimate for this stock is roughly 35,000 animals (34,999, Becker et al. 2020), and NOAA reports no long-term trend in that number. Sightings vary a lot season to season and year to year, but the wider population is not known to be declining.
NOAA Pacific White-sided Dolphin SAR, rev. 3/14/2022 source →
HOW RARITY IS JUDGED →What to look for
Best months to see
Last 30 days
This chart includes numerical reports only. Uncounted sightings do not appear in its totals; see the daily archive for presence reports.
Where to go (operators publish dated sighting reports)
We monitor public trip reports across Newport Beach, Long Beach, Dana Point and San Diego. Reporting schedules vary; summaries show the latest available report. Newport's shared feed is counted once.