A drone over Southern California caught a pod of stampeding dolphins on camera.
"When I saw it, I was moved to tears," Captain David Anderson of Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari told 11Alive.
A boater tipped off Captain Dave after spotting the pod of dolphins, by the time he reached the area the area they were already in a stampede.
"It's mysterious behavior. Scientists don't know exactly what causes dolphin stampedes. I've seen them where they start slow and build up speed, and where they start suddenly with a burst of activity," Capt. Dave told 11Alive. "They could be afraid of something or they may be heading towards food."
Since there is no predator visible in the video some have speculated that Capt. Dave himself caused the dolphins to flee.
"People have so many concerns about privacy, and that's understandable," Capt. Dave said. "But if they outlaw drones, they have to realize they'll be outlawing this window into the lives of these beautiful animals."
This is the first drone video the captain has shared with the public. Capt. Dave believes the video would not have been possible to capture in a time before drones were available to the general public.
"It would have cost between $10,000 and $20,000," he said. "This is smaller and more simple to fly."
About 1,000 dolphins and whales are killed every day in fishing nets and other man-made devices, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Capt. Dave said many people have reached out to him who are touched by the video and are inspired to help save the aquatic creatures.
"I wanted people to be moved to tears and care about these animals without me saying a single word."
The video is over five minutes long and follows the pod as they stampede through the water.
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