Hawaii -- January 11, 2013: A Bottlenose Dolphin Approaches Divers for Help!

       Living here in the SC Lowcountry, I marvel at every opportunity that I have to observe and learn about Bottlenose Dolphins. My regular readers will remember my relatively recent blog post of our observation of our local subspecies' strand feeding behavior on Morris Island.  Their well-documented intelligence and inter-species interactions fascinate me.  Thus, when I learn of an amazing story about a dolphins, I feel compelled to share it.  This morning, I found in my inbox, just such a story -- with video!

       On January 11, 2013, an Hawaiian professional diving & tours company, Ocean Wings Hawaii, was leading a group of clients on a night time dive to watch and film manta rays.  They noticed a lone Bottlenose Dolphin approach and linger close-by within the realm of their lights.  As it continued to move in closer, they also noticed that its movements were somewhat restricted by fishing line and a hook lodged in its pectoral fin.  Watch this video, filmed by Martina Wing, co-owner of Ocean Wings Hawaii, in which this wild, yet trusting dolphin approaches the divers and then eventually positions himself next to one of the dive instructors, Keller Laros, so that he can remove the entangled line and hook!

         How wonderful that such an event could take place and that a human could help another entrusting creature in distress!  We do not know that this particular dolphin's entanglement in fishing line was due to human carelessness.  Yet, it is still a reminder that we do impact other species on our shared planet.  My hope is that on a daily basis, we all can find ways to lessen the negative impacts that we bring and help wildlife to cope and survive as they encounter some of these dangers.