Spinner Dolphins of Lana'i, Hawai'i
Every morning, a large pod of hundreds of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, winding down from a hectic night of hunting, searches out sandy bottomed bays along the coast of Lanai where it can rest, sleep and be safe from predators like sharks. Researchers say that these dolphin schools are "a society of friends," brought together not just by familial ties but to render each other mutual assistance.
By mid-day each day, the dolphins are often deep in "sleep": Grouped closely together, they sink to the sandy bottom where they remain for 4-5 minutes at a time. They are not totally asleep, but critical brain functions --such as those responsible for echo-location-- are shut down, and what is most notable about the pod at these times is its silence. (Researchers think this is why sandy bottomed bays are sought out for rest: Since the dolphins have only their collective eyesight to rely on at these times, the white sandy bottom is a key aid in quickly sighting sharks that might be threats.)
During a 10 day period in mid-November 2000, I led a few dives to locations here where contact with spinner dolphins was possible (but, of course, never guaranteed). As my photos below demonstrate, I was lucky indeed to "dive with dolphins" on four dives during that trip...IT WAS TRULY AWESOME!!!
At first I thought this mother and calf were a snorkeler off the dive boat. But as they got closer, I realized what they were.
They were a bit skitish of my approach --since the mother seemed to be teaching the calf something only dolphins would recognize. But I figured they were only the leading edge of the pod...and I was right...
Before long a large group of spinners charged overhead on their way to who knows where. (They may have been headed for Manele Bay, where they often rest.)
They were too fast for me to get much closer, and, anyway, they clearly weren't interested in letting me get closer.
Alas, that's the reality down here: THEY choose when to let you approach, when not to. Not only is there no chance of outswimming them, but aggressive behavior like that is certain to send them off even quicker...But I had hopes the next group would be more curious...
This group was deeper, moving more slowly, and clearly up for some closer contact.
Researchers have seen this vertical, bunched up, formation both in the resting phase as well as a defensive manuever.
If it was a 'threat response' formation, they showed no signs of concern about me, and I continued to hope that those to follow would grace me with a closer look...
How many do you count in this picture?
While literally hundreds crossed my path that were visible to me, of course I couldn't get many into a single frame. In this one, tho, I count 19!
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