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Killer whales make appearance off Dana Point

5:16 PM, June 12, 2008

Killer_whale_breaching

A report of a group of orcas, or killer whales, just four miles offshore from Dana Point prompted Dave and Gisele Anderson of Capt. Dave's Dolphin Safari to jump in their tour boat Wednesday afternoon and snap this picture of one of the five orcas they spotted breaching. The husband-and-wife tour operators say that it is rare for the creatures to come close to shore in this region and that it was the first time they've spotted one in more than three years.

"It was incredible. They were so animated and gregarious, going from boat to boat," Gisele Anderson said. Most people don't know that so-called killer whales are members of the dolphin family, despite what their name suggests, she explains. "They are called killer whales because they are whale killers, not because they're whales."

-- Tony Barboza

Photo: Courtesy of Dave Anderson

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Comments

Captain Dave and his wife provide a wonderful experience to those kids and adults that love the sea and want to know more about what swims in it.
I have been with them on several occasions and have never been disappointed in what we discovered.
Look him up and take an adventure with them.

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Tony Barboza is a reporter who covers Santa Ana and Irvine for the Times' Orange County Edition. He has written about a veterinarian shortage at L.A. animal shelters, a glass barrier birders called "the wall of death" and a controversial stunt to put a celebrity elephant in a giant bubble. He lives with his cats Mario and Vincent.
Francisco Vara-Orta is a staff writer at the Times in Los Angeles who covers breaking news for online, the Eastside, and Latino issues throughout the county. He has written about birth control for squirrels in Santa Monica and pigeons in Hollywood, the hidden culture of TV pet adoptions, and animal cruelty throughout Southern California. A L.A. transplant, he is from San Antonio, Texas, where his dog Diego now keeps his mother company.
Carla Hall is a general assignment reporter at the Times in Los Angeles. Frequently covering animals (and their people) throughout her 15 years at the Times, she's chronicled the Oakland Zoo's attempts to hand-raise a baby African elephant; followed the Los Angeles Zoo's LA-born gorilla Caesar on his trek to a new home at Zoo Atlanta; and interviewed pit bulls at the Laurel Canyon Dog Park. Currently animal-less, she still insists on plying people with anecdotes about her cat, Arnold, who died ten years ago.
Tony Perry is The Times' bureau chief in San Diego. Unlike other animal-loving reporters, he's lucky enough to have pandas -- along with frogs, elephants, and other creatures at the San Diego Zoo which he covers. He's also reported on efforts by the county Department of Animal Services to find homes for older dogs and cats. He and his wife, Ann, and their sons, Wes and Mike, have a family member named Jane, a standard poodle.
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Steve Padilla is an assistant metro editor at the Times. He has written and edited articles on many subjects, including higher education and religion. He earned his first front-page byline at The Times with an article about pit bulls. He serves three cats -- Annie, Alex and Simon.

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