Dana Point's Iconic Bottlenose Dolphin 'Patches' Has A New Friend

DANA POINT, CA — Orange County's beloved bottlenose dolphin was spotted this week during an Ocean Adventures ride off the coast of Dana Point. "Patches," as the community has come to call him due to the unique discolorations on his skin, coasted through the waters with a new friend in tow: a baby bottlenose dolphin.

Patches and baby bottlenose took to the waves side-by-side, giving spectators aboard Ocean Adventures a rare treat.

Local naturalist Dave Beeninga said that Patches is a frequent visitor of Dana Point. He can typically be spotted racing through the waters in a pod of 30-50 other bottlenose dolphins. The first recorded sighting of Patches was sometime in 2006, according to Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching. Since 2006, they see him every couple of years.

It's only been a little over a year since we've seen Patches in Dana Point, the last recorded sighting being late May 2020.

"We consider him a good luck charm," said Donna Kalez, COO of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, in a previous interview. "He's a rare treat for wildlife watchers to see."

According to Beeninga, Patches is a leucistic dolphin. This condition causes him to have the uncommon color variants, ranging from dark gray to light pink and white, that he is known for.

Orange County loves you, Patches! Hope to see you soon!

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