Pod of dolphins swimming in the bay peacefully
I’ve always seen dolphins as a blessing from the sky, and I never thought my love for them could deepen any further — but I was wrong.
In 2018, I spent a few unforgettable days in Byron Bay. One morning, after capturing a spectacular sunrise at Little Wategos Beach, I was walking along the sand when I noticed a pod of dolphins entering the bay. Unlike their usual quick, playful visits, they were calm and quiet — floating on the surface, flapping their tails gently, and drifting up and down the shoreline. It looked like they were resting after their early morning hunt.
Two humpback whales appearing in the bay
For about an hour, nothing much happened. I wandered along the beach, from Little Wategos to Wategos and back again, watching the dolphins glide quietly through the still water. When I reached the rocks between the two beaches, I paused for a moment — and all of a sudden, without any warning, two enormous humpback whales appeared just 20 meters in front of me. They were in incredibly shallow water, no more than a couple of meters deep. Their bellies must have already been brushing the seafloor, and they were heading straight toward Little Wategos. That part of the bay is very shallow, and their direction was leading them straight toward the shoreline and the rocks — toward the headland that protects the bay from the open ocean. It was clear they had lost their sense of direction.
The whales approaching the shoreline
As I stood there stunned, something extraordinary happened. The pod of dolphins, who had been lazing peacefully in the middle of the bay, suddenly snapped into action. It was as if they’d heard a silent call for help. In seconds, they swam to the whales, approaching from every direction and surrounding them like a protective ring.
The dolphins surrounding the whales from all sides
Once in position, the dolphins began gently guiding the whales back toward deeper water — almost like a convoy of bodyguards clearing the way. Slowly but surely, the whales turned and followed them, away from the danger and back toward safety.
The dolphins guiding the whales back to deeper water
When they reached the open sea, the dolphins peeled off and returned to their calm drifting. But before the whales disappeared into the deep, one of them turned on its side and began slowly lifting and lowering its fin — as if waving again and again. It stayed like that for several moments, almost as if it were saying goodbye… or perhaps even thank you.
The dolphins guiding the whales back to deeper water
It was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever witnessed. A moment of silent understanding between species. A rescue without hesitation. Magic in its purest form.
