I blew the cobwebs away with a walk on the coast path today. As I sat down on the clifftop to eat my lunch, a dolphin leapt out of the water below…then another and another. I was treated to almost an hour of free dolphin watching. I settled down with my bins and a sausage roll and enjoyed the show. A truly special encounter. I even managed to film a fair bit on my camera. Here’s a short snippet.
I blew the cobwebs away with a walk on the coast path today. As I sat down on the clifftop to eat my lunch, a dolphin leapt out of the water below…then another and another. I was treated to almost an hour of free dolphin watching. I settled down with my bins and a sausage roll and enjoyed the show. A truly special encounter. I even managed to film a fair bit on my camera. Here’s a short snippet.
Winner – macro: Liftoff
‘Vertical migrations are some of the most remarkable in the world. Billions of animals hide in deep waters and then travel to the surface at night to feed under the cover of darkness. This paper nautilus hitched a ride on a passing jellyfish – a truly unique and magical encounter on one of the world’s greatest vertical currents.’ Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Photograph: Talia Greis
Finalist – aerial: The Chase
‘I’m fascinated by interspecies interactions. I question: is it just social interaction or are these encounters driven by deeper connections, communication, or even cooperation? These two bottlenose dolphins were riding the humpback’s wake then swimming to its eye and pausing. It was like a reunion of old friends in a fleeting moment.’ Nyangbul country, Lennox Head, New South Wales.
Photograph: Craig Parry
Pacific white-sided dolphins. They were moving so fast!
Pacific white-sided dolphins. They were moving so fast!
A bottlenose dolphin in Shark Bay, Australia sports a sea sponge on its nose – not as a fashion statement, but to help it forage for food. A new study has found that using a sponge helps to protect a dolphin’s beak from sharp rocks while it shovels through rubble at the bottom of sandy channels, stirring up barred sandperch for a meal.
Photograph: Meredith MacQueeney/AP
A bottlenose dolphin in Shark Bay, Australia sports a sea sponge on its nose – not as a fashion statement, but to help it forage for food. A new study has found that using a sponge helps to protect a dolphin’s beak from sharp rocks while it shovels through rubble at the bottom of sandy channels, stirring up barred sandperch for a meal.
Photograph: Meredith MacQueeney/AP