As you would
expect from a marine biologist, I’m in and out of the water and a bit damp
quite often. Therefore you would have thought that I’ve learned by now not to
take my phone with me, sadly this is not the case. Thankfully my most recent phone-drowning
hasn’t dampened my mood. The incident was due to an impulsive dive off the end
of our jetty, so I could swim amongst a pod of twelve bottlenose dolphins. At
that moment my mobile phone didn’t register as being significant compared to an
interaction with wild dolphins splashing around in the sunset. If only all the
others had been so glamorously sacrificed.
I know I’m not
alone in having an overwhelming adoration for these extraordinary animals. Dolphins
are second only to humans in their brain to body ratio, and although
intelligence is notoriously hard to determine, it’s obvious that dolphins are
up there. Their social behavior is complex and fascinating, as is their
communication. They can differentiate, as well as produce, a massive range of
sound frequencies, ten times more than humans. One of the most magical things
about being underwater with dolphins is that you hear them conversing with one
another. Research has shown that each individual has their own signature
whistle so they can all recognize who said what in the group. Because sound
travels so well through liquids, their chatter penetrates your whole body and you
feel completely encapsulated by an orchestral mix of of high-pitched squeaks
and clicks. One of our guests likens it to being at the dentist, although I
hasten to add that of course, it’s infinitely more enjoyable.
I love to see
animals in their natural habitat, but there is no doubt that we have to be
careful not to disrupt the natural flow of things, or even worse inadvertently
damage the very thing we are trying to catch a glimpse of. The wonderful thing
about dolphins is that they appear to actually want to spend time with us. Our
Dive-master and true animal lover Rilwan, is very proud of the fact that a
dolphin has once tried to kiss him. I unfortunately don’t seem to have quite
the same level of appeal, although on every underwater encounter the dolphins
have playfully swum closer to get a good look, disappointingly I’ve clearly
never made the cut.
Dolphins around
the Maldives have conveniently predictable daily routines, which is handy for
us. We take trips out to spot them at sunset; at this time of day they’re
leaving the safety of the shallow water within the atoll for the open ocean.
They tend to rest during the day, and in the evenings they’ll met up with
friends forming two hundred strong pods, embarking together on overnight
fishing sprees. The most common species here, the spinner dolphin, is particularly
fun to watch. They are one of the smallest and the fastest dolphins, having been known
to swim at speeds up to an incredible 55km/hr. When in the mood, the spinners
can swim at full speed to towards the surface, jumping up and rotating on their
tail as many as seven times in one leap. This spectacular acrobatic airshow is
not well explained; it could be a form of communication, a method of removing
parasites or simply for kicks and giggles. Either way, it looks like a lot of
fun, and always results in shrieks of pleasure from all of us on the boat.
Every time I take our guests out on a dolphin trip I’m reminded of how lucky we
are to live in a remote area so unblemished and abundant in natural wonders.
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| Frolics with a friendly spinner dolphin |
