My love for dolphins began when I was a very young boy. I grew up listening to my grandfather’s stories about the ocean — about whales, mysterious sea creatures, and, most of all, dolphins. He spoke with so much wonder that these animals felt magical to me, even though I’d never seen the sea myself.
I was only ten years old when Guns N’ Roses released their new video for Estranged. I was at my grandparents’ house, running around the room like a crazy puppy, full of energy and not paying much attention to the TV — until the music started. Something about it grabbed me. I stopped. I remember standing there, completely mesmerised. In one scene, Axl Rose jumps from a massive tanker into the ocean — and suddenly, a pod of dolphins appears, coming to save him. It was beautiful. I had goosebumps all over my body. I was in awe. That moment left a mark on me. I think it was the first time I saw dolphins moving — swimming, leaping — not just as pictures in a book, but alive on screen. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Many years later, I moved to Australia, and I feel incredibly lucky. I’d always wanted to live by the ocean — and now, that dream has come true. Like many others, I’ve developed a habit of doing my daily exercises along the coast: jogging, stretching, swimming, and watching the waves roll in.
To my delight, dolphins enjoy visiting this coastline too. Usually, their visits are brief, and they stay further out to sea. Occasionally, though, they come closer.
But not on this day.
I was halfway through my exercise at the monkey bars in Tamarama when I noticed movement out in the middle of the bay. A large pod — maybe 20 or 25 dolphins — was swimming steadily toward shore. The swell was decent, around five to six feet, and the waves were perfectly shaped, barreling cleanly. There were lots of surfers in the water.
But the dolphins weren’t just passing by this time. They started surfing the waves — coming all the way into the shore.
I grabbed my camera, ran down to the sand, and started shooting. They kept coming in waves — literally — launching themselves into the air, gliding through the surf. The surfers had stopped completely. Everyone was just floating, watching in awe.
The pod stayed close for at least half an hour, maybe longer. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. It was one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever witnessed on this coast. I felt the same awe I did as that little boy, watching Estranged in my grandparents’ living room.