Welcome to the Dolphins in Paradise Blog

Dolphins in Paradise has become for me a preferred state of mind.
This blog is about co-creating an on-line space where people can share,
and perhaps remember, our connections to our cetacean allies
and the feeling of upliftment and sense of community which is the result of that.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Humpback Whale & Bottlenose Dolphin Playing


I was observing a strange interaction between a pair of bottlenose dolphins and a humpback whale, when it became apparent that the two species were collaborating in some way. The dolphin was lying on a humpback whale’s head while it was slowly swimming along. Looking through my camera lens the stunt appeared to be orchestrated by mutual “agreement.” The whale very slowly—and vertically—lifted the dolphin into the air. I expected the dolphin to wriggle atop the humpback’s head to get off, but it just laid still and arched, trying to stay on top of the whale’s snout. In this frame the dolphin was beginning its slippery return to the sea. Once back in the ocean, the dolphin swiftly swam away with the other dolphin, leaping joyfully as if they had just scored a coup!

—Lori Mazzuca, Kailua Kona, HI

Canon EOS 10D; 70-200mm lens with 1.4x extender; digital capture