Over the weekend, a group of surfers in Byron Bay, NSW were joined by dozens of dolphins in the waves at The Pass, thanks to north-westerly winds from Cyclone Gabrielle whipping up a decent swell. Amateur photographer Paul Stanley-Jones captured a remarkable moment where a surfer was almost knocked off his board by a playful dolphin.
Stanley-Jones, who has been surfing since he was six years old, said that while it can be “pretty hairy” when dolphins first swim with you due to their size, it is “magical” once you get used to them swimming under your board and alongside you.
Stanley-Jones also explained that it is a tradition of his to print out photos for surfers when he can’t enter the waves himself, and he would be keen to offer the unidentified surfers high-quality prints of the photos he took. He remarked that he expected to spend only an hour taking photos, but the dolphins’ arrival kept him seated for over seven hours, with over 680 photos in his camera roll.
The playful nature of the dolphins surprised and delighted many of the surfers and onlookers present, with some waves having as many as 30 dolphins under them.
The photo of the dolphin almost colliding with a surfer particularly caught the attention of many, with locals expressing their amazement at just how eager the dolphins were to frolic with humans.
Stanley-Jones noted that the wind conditions created by Cyclone Gabrielle were ideal for a day in the surf. He also mentioned that when there are dolphins around, there are supposedly no sharks, although he cannot confirm the veracity of this claim. Regardless, he has never seen a shark in the water when dolphins are present, and he emphasized the beauty and inquisitive nature of the creatures.
»Surfer is almost knocked off his board by a playful dolphin«
↯↯↯Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media ↯↯↯