A pod of dolphins has been caught on camera riding the waves off the coast of Sydney's Manly Beach.
Photographer Jessica Blacklow shared photos of the surfing cetaceans to her Facebook page, Wiltliving, on May 10, describing it as a "manly lineup."
"I have never seen so many dolphins riding one wave together like that," Blacklow told Newsweek. "It must have been my lucky day."
Blacklow, who is based in Newcastle in New South Wales, was visiting Sydney when the event took place. "The morning before I left, I was on the beach taking photos," she said. "I saw some movement by the dolphins with a wave coming, they usually jump out the back of the wave and I'm never fast enough to catch them.
"It all happened so fast and then they were gone."
This is not the first time dolphins have been seen riding a wave like this. However, researchers are still not entirely sure why they do it.
"There has not been significant work done in trying to understand the purpose of wave surfing in dolphins," David Lusseau, professor of marine sustainability at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources at the Technical University of Denmark, told Newsweek. "We do know that in many populations dolphins can dedicate a good proportion of their time to socializing and playing.
"Play can take many forms, from interacting with objects such as macroalgae (kelp and the like), other animals, or human objects. For example, in a population where I used to work, individuals would pull the rope of fishing pots to sink the buoy, release it from the bottom and race the buoy to the surface. They would also play with kelp, carrying it on their flipper or their rostrum and these kelp games would also at time become social, with dolphins passing the kelp from one to another while others try to catch it."
While play is a key component of dolphin behavior, there may be a more practical reason for this wildlife watersport. "Dolphins are extremely good at making use of their environment to meet their needs, whether it is fun or serious business," Lusseau said.
"What might be construed as surfing in some instances can equally be individuals simply making use of those waves to hunt, to hide or to evade: to hunt, by being concealed by the noise and pressure of the wave, meaning they can approach prey more effectively; to hide, so as to chase or get close to others with whom they may be fighting (or playing!); [or] to evade, by hiding their acoustic and wave pressure presence from other dolphins or predators."
Blacklow's images have delighted her followers on social media.
"Wow. What a shot. Real surfers," commented one user.
"These are incredible photos," said another. "What a moment to capture."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
