Community Corner

Playful Dolphins And Gorgeous Blue In OC: Patch Photo Of The Week

With pictures of the great ocean blue that look like this, one might forget that just last week Orange County faced a frightful oil spill.

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Miranda Ceja, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
A momma and baby dolphin leap across the calm waves off the coast of Dana Point.
A momma and baby dolphin leap across the calm waves off the coast of Dana Point. (Photo Courtesy of Kristine Erickson)

DANA POINT, CA ā€” Moms teach their little ones all sorts of things. How to walk, talk and mind their Ps and Qs. While dolphin moms would certainly be smart enough to teach their babies all of those things, dolphins can't walk, or talk or mind their manners.

We at Patch think the Orange County dolphins fared very well with the calm waves off the coast of Dana Point (Kristine Erickson Photo).

They can, however, teach their young ones to leap across the ocean waves and make for stunning photographs. In this reporter's opinion, mom is doing a great job at teaching baby the ropes.

This Wednesday photo taken by San Juan Capistrano resident Kristine Erickson while she enjoyed a Dana Wharf Whale Watch tour exemplifies just that. Dolphins making great jumps through calm waters is a gorgeous enough sight, but a momma dolphin and her baby? Get out of town.

Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The dolphins are out and about in Dana Point, giving San Juan Capistrano resident Kristine Erickson the opportune moment to snap her shot while she enjoyed a Dana Wharf Whale Watch Tour (Kristine Erickson Photo).

In fact, the shot is so picturesque that one might forget that it was only last week that a 25,000 gallon oil spill spread across the coast of Orange County.

This fin whale shot by Erickson seems a little shy, but the San Juan Capistrano photographer was still able to capture a great shot of it peeking through Dana Point waters (Kristine Erickson Photo).

But marine wildlife was in abundance. Erickson captured several picturesque shots of not only dolphins, but sea lions, harbor seals ā€” and even a fin whale.

Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

It's almost as if you could reach out and pet this dozing sea lion off the coast of Dana Point. We don't suggest it, but the thought is pretty comforting, isn't it? (Kristine Erickson Photo)

Do you have a picture of your hometown you'd like to share with Patch? Send it our way for a chance to be featured on Patch's photo of the week. Email your favorite to your Patch Orange County Editor.

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