Amazing video captures ‘rare’ and ‘magical’ moment when humpback whale and dolphin dance together off the coast of Hawaii
- The adorable footage was captured with a drone camera off Oahu’s north shore
- The wildlife can be seen swimming together through the bright blue surf
- The Hawaiian photographer said he would ‘never forget’ the mesmerizing spectacle
A photographer from Hawaii has captured a beautiful moment in nature where a humpback whale and a dolphin dance together on the waves.
Photographer and bodyboarder Jacob VanderVelde captured the incredible rare footage with a drone camera off the coast of Oahu, Honolulu County.
said VanderVelde Hawaii news now: ‘On a scale of 1 to 10 it would be a 12. It’s a magical moment, I’ll never forget it’.
The video shows the humpback whale twirling underwater as it swims, while the dolphin twirls around it in what appears to be a dance.
The mesmerizing interaction then shows the dolphin swimming ahead of the much larger animal through the clear blue water.
Photographer Jacob VanderVelde was lucky enough to capture the incredible rare images with a drone
VanderVelde said he first noticed something unusual going on when he saw water spouting from a whale’s blowhole about 200 yards from Shark’s Cove on Oahu’s north shore in February last year.
He sent out his drone camera, hoping to capture some video footage of humpback whales in the wild.
He said it’s normal to see whales in the area, but when he saw the footage he was completely blown away and his mouth “dropped on the floor.”
“I’m a Hawaii photographer and that’s what I do: I ride waves, I photograph waves, everything around the ocean is waves, so when this happened it was probably the greatest moment of my life,” he said.
‘I don’t know how to explain it. I’m still in shock. It’s a goosebumps moment – like a natural high that goes on and on,” he added.
The clear footage shows the whale making a splash with its fin as it glides through the water, while the dolphin gracefully circles around it.
The animals stay close together just below the water’s surface as the dolphin begins to swim slightly in front of its playmate.
Viewers who watched the video on social media said it was “amazing to see this beautiful face.”
Another commented, “I’d like to think that not only do they play together, but they protect each other.”
VanderVelde said it was a moment he “would never forget” and that he was “still in shock”
The video shows the humpback whale spinning underwater as it swims with the dolphin
Humpback whales and dolphins appear in the same areas where they consume the same prey
The playful social activity captured on the drone camera is rare among dolphins and whales
Humpback whales and dolphins often appear in the same areas where they consume the same prey, but this kind of playful social activity is rare among the species.
Both mammals are common off the coast of Hawaii, which can cause problems when people try to interact with the animals.
Last month, a man calling himself “Dolphin Dave” was subpoenaed by police in Hawaii for allegedly harassing a humpback whale and dolphin group on a snorkeling trip.
David Jiménez, 65, posted a video of himself on social media showing the moment he chased a humpback whale in the island state’s waters.
According to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, a conservation agency received “numerous calls reporting alleged wildlife harassment” related to the video.
In response to the allegations, the Hawaiian is reported to have told officials he will not stop swimming with the sea creatures because “it’s magical and others are doing far worse things.”