Nice gathering with bottlenose dolphins

by firmm Team

Text and photos: Sonja Van Den Bossche, volunteer for firmm – June 2015

June 16th, 2015, a very special and great day: sunny, no wind, calm sea, good visibility. So perfect conditions to end a busy day with a relaxing boat trip with firmm!

Hardly had we left the port of Tarifa at 5 p.m., when we met a large pod of bottlenose dolphins. It seemed as though they had arranged to perform tricks and treat us to a phenomenal show here at this moment. On their programme were ‘tailslapping’ with their powerful tail flukes and all kinds of acrobatic and awkward jumps: very high or breaching, sometimes even synchronic. We were hardly able to take it all in, didn’t know where to look first or how, what, when or where to take pictures.

Sailing past the lighthouse Glittering sea 

Everywhere, on the left and right side of the boat, there was constant movement and something interesting to see. The colours of the approaching sunset, red and orange, reflected on their streamlined bodies and on the sea. As a firmm-guide the tourists frequently ask me during my introductions before the boat trips and on the boat itself: ‘Why do dolphins actually jump?’ One of the reasons is that they want to have fun. They’re very playful. It’s also known that dolphins ride high waves and surf the bow waves of ships.

A large pod of bottlenose dolphins Jumping dolphins Synchronic jumping More jumping dolphins  

Dolphins are very social animals too. A family with a baby dolphin didn’t love the hustle and bustle and preferred coming to our boat in order to proudly show their newborn to the guests on board. Dolphin mothers always swim close to their young to suckle them, protect them or make swimming easier for them. It saves energy and gives the little ones more speed.

A family with a baby dolphin 

Complete silence on the boat, until suddenly and completely out of the blue a large bottlenose dolphin jumped up very high right before our eyes and very close to the boat, It ‘flew’ horizontally above the water surface and then dived vertically into the water with its head down. We could clearly see its white belly. The dolphin finally disappeared underwater with a great big ‘splash’. Slowly Katharina’s voice sounded through the loudspeakers. ‘H-a-l-l-o,’ she said in German, which I interpreted not only as a greeting, but above all as an expression of surprise and admiration. And indeed, this was undoubtedly the highlight of – and also a nice ending to – this trip: a very special ‘meet & greet’ with SALTO !! Salto is one of firmm‘s animals for adoption, known to them since 2009 and renowed for his metre high jumps, to which he also owes his name.

Salto in close up 

On the way back to Tarifa everyone – curious about the results – took a moment to have a look at the numerous snapshots taken on his small camera screen and show them to the fellow passengers. Some pics were really unique. Beautiful memories of an hour together with firmm and the bottlenose dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar. To enjoy later on at home or share these pleasant experiences with family, friends and acquaintances.

‘Whale watching’ brings people closer together and makes friends…

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