CBS 8 San Diego Story on Our Bluefin Tuna and Fin Whale Encounter
WE MADE THE NEWS! Our bluefin tuna swarm encounter was masterfully reported by Shawn Styles and Jon Stinebaugh of CBS 8! Check out the official news story on CBS 8 San Diego! Seeing Bluefin Tuna and Fin Whales off San Diego may not be an everyday occurence, but we saw how our waters can fuel a truly unbelievable swarm.
This fall whale watching season has brought us not just orcas, sperm whales, and countless common dolphins. Countless bluefin and yellowfin tuna swarming right off San Diego! Our trip to see these ravenous tuna started as a search for the Eastern Tropical Pacific Orcas, known for hunting dolphins off San Diego. While the orcas had moved out of immediate reach, the orcas’ presence was definitely notable.
Not just whales, dolphins and Orcas on this trip though
We passed hundreds of dolphins moving north at breakneck speed as we searched for the telltale soaring fins of the orcas, but as we approached we saw something else that caught our eye! The ocean erupted into foam all around us. Even from a distance, the unmistakable silhouette of massive tuna leaping out of the water drew us in.
As we approached, these apex predators tore through schools of anchovies right off our continental shelf, less than 9 miles out of Mission Bay. The hapless prey tried seeking cover under our boat, but to no avail. A shower of scales shimmered around us, leaving a trail of death from the tuna’s relentless assault. As we were surrounded by the boiling “foamers” of doomed anchovies, fin whales appeared alongside our launch, and even started lunge feeding alongside the yellowfin and bluefin tuna.
Massive Tuna Abound and Feed Alongside Fin Whales
The size and scale of the tuna swarms that swelled all around dwarfed our 26 ft vessel. From the air, they formed beautiful, eery patterns that split the water in half, effectively fanning the small fish to the surface for easy pickings. Some tuna even dwarfed sea-lions that came to pick up leftover scraps from the torn apart fish schools
It was a mesmerizing display, and it looks like its going to continue! It’s heartening to see that we can still see such an abundance of bluefin and yellowfin tuna right off San Diego, despite their threatened status due to human activity.
Don’t forget to check out the video on our Facebook page! Seeing these beautiful apex predators in motion was a privilege that we hope to share with you!