1,500 dolphins seen playing with baby humpback in Monterey Bay

When a massive pod of dolphins saw a couple of humpbacks passing through Monterey Bay, they decided to have some fun with the whales.

Drone video from overhead shows the dolphins "snout riding" the mother humpback and her calf. That's when dolphins intentionally annoy whales by swimming and splashing near their heads, which causes the whales to quickly lunge forward in the water. That movement creates waves for the dolphins to surf in.

Looks like no one told the dolphins they should pick on somebody their own size.

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"The dolphins seem to really enjoy this and the whales aren't really bothered," explained Nancy Black, marine biologist at Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

Watch the excitement in the video at the top of this story.

A screenshot from the video shows the dolphins splashing near the humpback calf's head in Monterey Bay on May 14, 2018. A screenshot from the video shows the dolphins splashing near the humpback calf's head in Monterey Bay on May 14, 2018. Photo: Monterey Bay Whale Watch Photo: Monterey Bay Whale Watch Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close 1,500 dolphins seen playing with baby humpback in Monterey Bay 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

Black estimates there were about 1,500 dolphins of two different species in total.

Some were Pacific white-sided dolphins, no strangers to the California coast. If you look closely, you can tell the difference between those dolphins and the more rare Northern right whale dolphins, which don't have dorsal fins and are a dark black color on top, with a white underside.

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There were a few gray dolphin calves in the group, so perhaps it was an interspecies playdate.

The young humpback was probably born off the coast of Mexico about four months ago, said Black. In Monterey Bay, the calf can learn from its mother how to catch fish and krill.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.