A pod of about 50 Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) were active in the Santa Barbara Channel yesterday. They seemed content to casually hang around our boat for a while and there was also a small group of Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) traveling along with them. At first glance, one of the Risso's appeared to have a dolphin slipstreaming alongside her, but as it turns out, it was a Risso's calf that was probably close to being a newborn. Here are a few photos:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrDgtjRVF0VU5RPxJcy0Bc61Ol3K_PNtc_KUdoI1MgVWhOLyOjwwXVQt2Ba65ebt1nIx-xzLkdW3UtsKA1WdCtzWny_LM0UePJ2UqBgCGjT1fNQsWTRKgE6SedyKR52EQrmCI/s320/rissos+dolphin+-+june+28+2008.jpg)
Mother and calf (calf is on left, very small):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydsOE9mA9fvh4zyhpflrck6NwJ6IJ1MHxAURDV0iFz5dZWsCrZaZH3fs6k1GOk7uD-wncNM3klkcWNbXW2Roy_bsgfUKaIBy_LNpeOz_IUUFDyppRlKd0EcijdpgZxNSYyyHz/s400/rissos+dolphin+with+calf.jpg)
Dorsal fin of a Risso's dolphin (this scarring is the result of the teeth of other Risso's; all of the Risso's have this type of scarring):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGugYPo6PVmsub0EyCR8IPKZ-UgvrMdEsQR0SYG5xsWXR7RR4SDc76FKR7L_zyAFeSg1WduoRepl9ijJilIRHIUeHvUVuDbDDAnodX33U2-DvBlPUmnS453cIhas-TT3i6ebb/s400/rissos+dolphin+2.jpg)
And some other marine mammals spotted along the way--a California sea lion who was bowriding right along with a large pod of common dolphins:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJqEmJoFLIsXf2oSG5gN4qq5F35OdyNcM3SzZCwYWOSB_-Xv5lmGfhKG1q_XEvvUA9HA4Z_CACVhX_UwCrbmSMWcCDboL3HovHDuhpmUhyphenhyphen1odfsVEO_txng4ycA4dA6SkTR6Y/s400/california+sea+lion.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU368kXVfGPkedWfsS8KXZdryriv9d0JTjJIgm81nE9w44lD-GSMn2h7-1YzFBEUydihip9GwuN98BPvNbeFMUciodfbdiauPXd7lI22plhbc09_liWQWn098h9WFPawi-rGEW/s320/common+dolphins.jpg)