The Beach Reporter – Dolphins, Whales Move Closer to Shore As Coronavirus Keeps People Away

With the beaches free of people, and red tide moving out, sea life appears to be sauntering closer to the shoreline.

Whales and large pods of dolphins were seen playing in shallow waters off Redondo Beach this week, about a month after L.A. County beaches closed in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The activity from whales and dolphins could be because humans aren’t entering the water to swim or surf, allowing them to relax a bit and take over, said Eric Martin, co-director of Manhattan Beach’s Roundhouse Aquarium.

“Sight and hearing is everything for a whale and a dolphin,” Martin said. “Every single time a surfer stands up on a board or a swimmer splashes by, dolphins can sense that.”

When surfers are all stacked up, Martin said, dolphins still come by. But Martin said he thinks the creatures are congregating now in bigger groups.

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