A Hawaii photographer has captured a beautiful moment in nature showing a humpback whale and a dolphin dancing together amid the waves.
Photographer and bodyboarder Jacob VanderVelde caught the incredible rare footage using a drone camera off the coast of Oahu, Honolulu County.
VanderVelde told Hawaii News Now: ‘On a scale of one to 10, it would be a 12. It’s a magic moment, I will never forget’.
The video shows the humpback whale spinning underwater as it swims, with the dolphin spiraling around it in what looks like a dance.
The mesmerizing interaction then shows the dolphin swimming ahead of the much bigger animal through the bright blue waters.
VanderVelde said he first noticed something unusual was going on when he spotted water spouting out of a whale’s blowhole around 200 yards off Shark’s Cove on the north coast of Oahu in February last year.
He sent out his drone camera, hoping he might capture some video footage of humpback whales in the wild.
He said seeing whales in the area is typical, but when he saw the footage he was totally blown away and his jaw ‘dropped to the floor’.
‘I’m a Hawaii photographer and that’s what I do is I ride waves, I shoot waves, everything around the ocean is waves, so when this happened, it probably was the biggest moment of my life,’ he said.
‘I don’t know how to explain it. I am still in shock. It’s a goosebump moment – like a natural high that just keeps going,’ he added.
The clear footage shows the whale making a splash with its fin as it glides through the water, while the dolphin elegantly spins around it.
The animals remain close together just below the surface of the water as the dolphin begins swimming slightly ahead of its playmate.
Viewers watching the video on social media said it was ‘amazing to see this beautiful sight’.
Another commented: ‘I’d like to think not only are they playing together, but they are protecting each other as well.’
Humpback whales and dolphins will often appear in the same areas as they consume the same prey, but this kind of playful social activity is rare between the species.
Both mammals are common off the coast of Hawaii, which can cause issues when humans attempt to interact with the animals.
Last month, a man who calls himself ‘Dolphin Dave’ has been cited by police in Hawaii for allegedly harassing a humpback whale and dolphin pod during a snorkeling trip.
David Jiménez, 65, posted video of himself on social media showing the moment he pursued a humpback whale in the waters of the island state.
According to Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources, one conservation agency received ‘numerous calls reporting alleged wildlife harassment’ in regards to the video.
In response to the allegations, the Hawaii resident reportedly told officials he will not stop swimming with the sea animals because ‘it’s magical and others do much worse things.’
