VIDEO: Whoa Nellie! It's a Dolphin Stampede Off Dana Point Coast

A huge pod of about 1,000 common dolphins stampeded off the coast of Dana Point on Monday like a herd of wild horses.

According to Capt. Dave Anderson: "This has happened twice recently though it is very rare. The line of wild dolphins could be seen from miles away churning up the water and, to the delight of whale watching passengers and crew aboard Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari, the dolphins turned and stampeded directly over to the boat. Often this unusual behavior happens without warning or anything frightening them as was the case this time."

Ecstatic passengers aboard Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari were able to see the spectacular show from a unique perspective too: below the surface from the eye-to-eye underwater viewing pods, Capt. Dave reported. In the two areas, passengers are "able to be one of the pod and feel what's it like to swim with wild dolphins without having to get wet."

Dana Point has the greatest density of oceanic dolphins per square mile of anywhere in the world. This includes nearly 450,000 common dolphins like the ones in this video. Porpoising is their fastest mode of travel as there is less resistance in air than water. Dolphins are here throughout the year, sometimes in herds numbering upwards of 10,000, he said.

In addition to incredible dolphins, Dolphin Safari whale watchers met several gray whales making their annual migration to Baja, Calif. At one point the herd of stampeding dolphins adjusted their course and headed right at the gray whales.

Don't worry for the whales though, they avoided the dolphins who were of no threat and are continuing their journey south, he said.