Marine Life
Home to rich marine life, the Monterey Bay is a playground for sea lions, otters and dolphins alike. It is not uncommon to see some (if not all) of these species during an short trip out to sea. On a recent scattering, we were delighted to have a small pod of dolphins swimming along side the Sea Spirit during the memorial. It was a joy and a surprise for the passengers and this crew member as it was my first “close encounter” with these beautiful creatures. Marine life is part of the package deal, no extra charge!
Some fun facts about dolphins:
- Dolphins devour their prey whole; one bottlenose dolphin may consume 32 pounds (14.5 kg) of fish in a day.
- They can reach speeds of 22 miles per hour (35 kph), and its cruising speed is 5 miles per hour (8 kph).
- When asleep, a dolphin keeps half of its brain awake in order to keep breathing.
- Dolphins contain three times more blood than a human by body weight, this increases the dolphin’s oxygen-storage capacity during dives.
- Bottlenose dolphins can live at least 40 years, with some females outliving males at 60 years or more.