DANA POINT – A group of Risso’s dolphins, possibly as many as 100, was spotted recently just a mile off Dana Point Harbor. The Risso’s are among the rarest of the dolphins seen off Orange County.

The dolphins, typically seen in water that’s 1,500 feet deep, were spotted in 150 feet of water Monday, March 5 during a whale-watch trip aboard the Lily, a boat operated by Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari.

“We were watching a gray whale and hadn’t seen dolphins for a couple of weeks,” said Domenic Biagini, a licensed drone pilot who works for the Dana Point charter. “I saw splashes, and I thought they were common dolphins. Then I heard Capt. Marie (Clark) announce that we were in for a treat.”

The dolphins, some dark in color, were playing on the surface and heading slowly up the coast.

“There were two large lines of them,” Biagini said. “One was hanging around the boat and the other was farther out. I think it was closer to 100, just the ones I had on my screen were at least 50.”

Typically, four species of dolphins – bottlenosed, long- and short-beaked and Pacific white-sided – are seen throughout the year off the coast of Dana Point. Risso’s dolphins are the most infrequently viewed, said Capt. Dave Anderson. Monday’s encounter was only the second time this year that Risso’s dolphins were seen by passengers and crew of Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari, he said.

Risso’s dolphins can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh as much as 1,100 pounds. They feed primarily on squid and are capable of diving to at least 1,000 feet.

They are dark gray in color that gradually lightens to light gray or white as they get older. Calves and juveniles are light to brownish gray. Adult Risso’s have considerable scarring caused by teeth rakes from other dolphins and markings from squid.