+10 pts Dad!

I was reading Bowditch, the navigational rules and methods bible... okay I was starting to, I'd made it as far as the table of contents. Dad stuck his head up to see how things were going and spotted dorsal fins! *happy dance* They were just off our starboard bow!

I ran around taking pictures like a crime scene investigator, then they changed direction... Dad tacked so I could get a better shot and I did! *grins*

I now understand why there are so many avid flower photographers though, you have a beautiful subject... that doesn't move!

The number of scrapes, bruises and things I've earned running around the boat trying to keep up with the marine wildlife would be prohibitive to those less stubborn.

Um... after a little Googling, I'm not really sure what these guys are... they're not very big, smaller than a killer whale, and larger than a porpoise or dolphin. We saw them in the Bay of Santa Monica.

Edit 11.12.2010: Thanks to everyone who has helped in trying to solve the identity of these creatures, we have two possible solutions right now... Pilot Whales, or Risso's Dolphins. I'm leaning towards Risso's Dolphins at the moment, mostly because I haven't found any Pilot Whale images that have that light graduating to dark coloring.