This is the spectacular moment thousands of dolphins stampeded next to a boat in California.

The stunning marine creatures were seen by awe-struck sailors off the coast of Newport Beach during the 'golden hour' sunset on Sunday morning January 23.

They were jumping out of the water so they could travel faster - either to evade a predator or reach a food source.

Jessica Roame, Education Manager for Newport Landing & Davey’s Locker Whale Watching, said: 'We saw some of the largest aggregations of common dolphin our captains have seen in years.

'The thousands of common dolphins were clearly on a mission. By jumping out of the water, the dolphins are actually saving energy! Because air has less resistance than water, jumping allows them to travel faster for longer distances.'

Crew from the whale watching company's catamaran recorded the dolphins while they were sailing in the area.

Jessica added: 'We don't know exactly what causes common dolphins to stampede, but it's thought that the dolphins could be evading a predator, or they might be catching up to a food source.

'Porpoising out of the water at a high rate of speed is the fastest mode of travel for dolphins because there is less resistance in the air than in water, which is why these dolphins move in this way when they're in a hurry, and when hundreds of dolphin do this together, we call this a stampede.

'Southern California is one of the best places in the world to see large pods of dolphin on a regular basis, as they are here year-round in Newport Beach.'