Some of the more daring dolphins achieve jumps up to 20 feet high, appearing to spring straight over the powerful walls of water. Others burst through the wave in perfect formation.
This clip is an excerpt from BBC’s ‘Wildlife on One’ episode 2003 called “Dolphins: Deep Thinkers?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nEpsW2kEFA
David Attenborough narrates that the maintenance of social bonds in complex animal societies such as dolphins and humans may be the explanation for why both dolphins and humans exhibit ‘play’ behaviors into adulthood and full maturity.
Dolphins not only enjoy riding waves but also frequently surf the bow waves of boats, at times ‘leaping’ between the dual bow waves of a moving catamaran. Sometimes, they also playfully interact with swimmers. (Jeffreys Bay in South Africa.)
Nature photographer Greg Huglin from Santa Barbara in California believes that the dolphins don’t just have fun surfing waves, but it could also have something to do with mating and chasing potential partners. Furthermore it might also be something to do with hiding from predators – the wave sounds could help mask the location of these wonderful animals.
This video was filmed at Point Lookout, Stradbroke Island in Australia in 2007.
Greg Huglin: “The first time I saw dolphins surfing the waves I was completely blown away. I was in South Africa filming white sharks and happened to stop in a small town where a shop was advertising dolphin and whale watching boat tours. I went along and after that I spent three months every year for the next six years filming and photographing the dolphins.”
Gliding effortlessly through the ocean these masters of the ocean made light work of waves up to 25 feet high. In pods of up to 400, the creatures crowded into the swell of the water as it broke.
And with seemingly little effort they tore through the surf, leaping high in the air as they went.
I can’t ever get enough of filming dolphins. They’re so unpredictable and move so fast.
Getting shots of them surfing waves is really difficult but I love it.(Greg Huglin)
Huglin’s breathtaking surfing dolphin movie can be bought and downloaded at the lilink below.
More surfing dolphin photos on Greg’s site on the link below
(Photos published with permission of Greg Huglin.)
2 Comments
wooowww…it s look sooooo beautiful like a picture…i will swim in the ocean and meat a lot of this wonderful dolphins….YES i looooooovvvveeee this!!! THANKS
amezing :-)
How absolutely wonderful! My decision is crystal-clear now: In my next life I will be a dolphin :-)
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