Dolphins and Sea Lions Swoop Through Schools of Fish in Southern California

Dolphins and sea lions were captured gracefully swooping and diving through schools of feeder fish as they hunted near Oceanside, California, on March 7.

This underwater footage, recorded by whale watcher and avid boater Blake Hill, shows the marine mammals darting through tight schools of fish called bait balls underneath the sunlit waves.

“The tight bait ball makes it harder for predators to focus on singling out just one,” said Hill, who was whale watching on his private boat with his girlfriend before recording this video. They noticed a bait ball when they spotted birds who were trying to catch the fish.

Hill has previously recorded footage of a humpback whale playing with kelp. He frequently posts videos showing sea creatures in their natural habitat. Credit: Blake Hill via Storyful