Common dolphin
Delphinus delphis
Superpods of short-beaked common dolphins — sometimes 1,000 to 10,000 animals — create white-water chaos visible from miles away off Newport and Laguna. They are bow-ride regulars and hunt cooperatively, herding fish into tight bait balls before slashing through at speed.
About 1.2× as long as an average adult is tall.
A common dolphin runs about 7 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. 7 ÷ 5.7 ≈ 1.2.
At a glance
Length/weight/lifespan/diet: NOAA Fisheries species page →
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.