Pod of Dolphin Caught on Camera Riding the Waves Off the Coast of Sydney [See Photos]

Dolphins know how to surf. A pod of dolphins was caught enjoying the waves off the coast of Sydney's Manly Beach.

Dolphins Go Surfing

Photographer Jessica Blacklow was at the right place at the right time when pods of dolphins rode the huge waves in Sydney as if they were surfing. She shared snaps of the said sighting on the Facebook page Wiltliving.

She told Newsweek that she had never seen so many dolphins riding one wave that many. She considered it her lucky day to witness such a phenomenon.

Blacklow is based in Newcastle, New South Wales, and visited Sydney when it happened. According to her, she went to the beach the morning before she left and took photos.

She noticed the dolphins riding the wave, and they reportedly jumped out the back of the wave. However, she was fast enough to capture it.

Blacklow said everything happened so fast, and the next thing she knew, the pod of dolphins was gone.

It wasn't the first time dolphins were seen riding a wave, and in a separate report from Newsweek, Andrew Hill, a stand-up paddleboarder, recounted a close encounter with a leaping dolphin. He remembered a pod of dolphins riding a wave, heading towards him.

There were about eight or nine of them, and they surfed straight at him. However, one jumped out of the water and struck him mid-air, sending him flying off his board.

A fella, Lucas Englert, was on the beach filming the dolphins and caught the incident. Englert said Hill was very happy because no one would probably believe his story, but thanks to Englert's video, he had proof.

Why Do Dolphins Surf or Ride The Waves?

According to David Lusseau, professor of marine sustainability at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources at the Technical University of Denmark, there's not enough study to comprehend the function of wave surfing in dolphins as it has not received much attention. However, they know that dolphins can spend a significant amount of their time socializing and playing.

Play can include engaging with objects, including other animals or humans, among other things. For instance, in a community where he once worked, people would pull the fishing pot ropes to sink the buoy, then release it from the bottom and race the buoy to the surface. Additionally, they would play with kelp while carrying it on their flipper or rostrum, and these kelp games would occasionally take on a social aspect as dolphins would pass the kelp from one another as others attempted to grab it.

Lusseau added that dolphins might also take advantage of their environment because they are reportedly skilled in utilizing their surroundings to fulfill whatever they want, whether to satisfy their playful side or for an important business - like hunting.

In some instances, what might be mistaken for surfing may be them using the waves for hunting, hiding, or evading. They may hunt by being hidden by the noise and pressure of the wave, allowing them to approach prey more effectively; they may hide from pursuing or approaching people with whom they may be fighting (or playing! ); or they may evade by concealing their acoustic and wave pressure presence from their other kinds.

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