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Dolphin sightings along First Street Bridge
Thursday, August 02, 2007
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The dolphin or porpoises sighted up and down the Napa River this week have been hanging around the First Street Bridge area in Napa all morning.

Register staff reporters and photographers have been at the site, seeing at least one dolphin in the river. We are looking at possibly being able to have a video of the dolphins up on the Web site later this afternoon.
From about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday through late this morning, the Register has been receiving calls from people seeing the dolphins swimming near the bridge in the area of JV Warehouse and Copia.

Check back here throughout the day for updates as they become available.


Harbor porpoises swim Napa River | Aug. 2, 2007
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15 comment(s)

Dirty Napkin wrote on Aug 2, 2007 12:43 PM:

" The Dolphins are still upstaging the raiders. "

Poor Dolphins wrote on Aug 2, 2007 1:06 PM:

" Shouldn't someone do something to try to get them back to the ocean where they belong so they dont die from the fresh water or other things in the river, or catch an infection, or get into dangerous situations with boats and curious people? They may be lost and should be given help home. "

Jarvis wrote on Aug 2, 2007 1:26 PM:

" Good work Reg, we await your footage. "

Naturalist wrote on Aug 2, 2007 2:10 PM:

" I believe these dolphins are just trying to return to their place of origin in order to spawn. Once the spawning is complete, they will die, and the great circle of life will continue. "

JimClark wrote on Aug 2, 2007 2:48 PM:

" Consider this. Why are dolphins and whales swimming up our less than saline waterways? Evolution is not confined to humankind. Resolved, whales and dolphins are evolving and do not need a collection of self-involved "intellectuals" interfering in that process. I'm "feeling good" that a new life form is about to evolve. I'm serious. "

BarstowGranny wrote on Aug 2, 2007 3:01 PM:

" Thanks for the update. This is so neat! I'll be watching for a video too. I hope dolphin experts know they are in the river, so if they need to be chased out to sea it can be done. Good luck critters! "

Coincidence?? wrote on Aug 2, 2007 3:17 PM:

" Daunte Culpepper arrived yesterday to the Raiders training camp and they got him from the Miami Dolphins..... coincidence??? Maybe he brought friends. "

on looker wrote on Aug 2, 2007 3:23 PM:

" I was by the river and could only spot one dolphin going in circles...it looked like a baby, maybe someone should go see if it's lost, I didn't see the mom around and usually they are within 10 feet of their youn....just a concerned citizen.... "

Chad wrote on Aug 2, 2007 3:39 PM:

" Dolphins do not swim up rivers to spawn. In fact, dolphins do not spawn at all, they are mamals. They have sex, and have live births like ALL mamals. Also dophins do not die after they give birth. Naturalist, I think you have them confused with salmon...You have got to be kidding me... "

LOL wrote on Aug 2, 2007 4:33 PM:

" Go Chad! Naturalist made me crack up. "

Jeff Corwyn wrote on Aug 2, 2007 4:36 PM:

" Maybe they are mad at the Vetrans Park being destroyed, and wanted to see with their own eyes! "

Naturalist wrote on Aug 2, 2007 4:54 PM:

" Mr. Chad, your theory of dolphins being mammals is intriguing and perhaps worthy of further study. However, my additional evaluation of this issue leads me to believe the dolphins may in fact be fleeing their native habitats where the pack ice is melting due to global warming. It is well known that many dolphins are drowning as the pack ice melts, due to the fact that dolphins cannot swim long distances. "

Napan wrote on Aug 2, 2007 5:08 PM:

" Dolphins: Dolphins are aquatic mammals which are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 metres (4 ft) and 40 kilograms (88 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and ten tonnes (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are considered to be amongst the most intelligent of animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture. "

Sandra wrote on Aug 5, 2007 8:54 AM:

" Chad, I hope you didn't use your real name, 'cause now many of Napa knows they can reel you in (pun intended) very easily..... still chuckling here....and yes I know we don't fish for dolphins.... "

Suze wrote on Aug 8, 2007 10:48 PM:

" Dolphins are in the group of marine mammals whose navigation is being interfered with by some Navy sonar signals. Much of the interference is so extreme and destructive it has caused internal hemorrhaging and massive beaching of whales etc. The international community has tried to get some protection for these creatures, but Bush has nixed it yet again. So here we have it - dolphins swimming in the Napa river!!?? A little off course I think, together with all the other odd marine mammal sightings in recent years. "

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