When you are looking at more dolphins than you can count, you are probably seeing a dolphin superpod. A “normal” dolphin pod might number 20 or fewer for some species and as many as 120 or so for others. When a few of these clans get together, you get a superpod. When a few superpods come together, you get the even larger megapod.

The animals get together to party. The fiesta-loving dolphins chatter at each other more and faster than any Spanish speaker may seem to. There are clicks, whistles, groans, squawks, whinnies, trills, vibratos, arpeggios, warbles, quavers and more flying through the biggest and bluest auditorium on the planet – the open ocean.

The extremely social dolphins also do a lot of high-energy acts, like flying a few meters into the air with grace and style. They might choreograph a vast three-dimensional sort of underwater ballet among dozens of dancers. The fate of any school of small fish that might happen upon one of these parties is sealed – gone. And then the party rolls on.