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| If there is an animal on this
planet that displays a pure joy for living, then surely it is best
expressed by Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins. Their ability to leap, twirl,
somersault, and just catch air is unsurpassed in the dolphin world. The
characteristic “spinning” action is unique to this species. With their
long rostrums, lithe bodies, pink bellies and playful spirits these
little dolphins are naturally photogenic. Catching them in mid-air
sounds easier than it really is, but all that burned film is worth the
one or two amazing images that may result. |
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Spinner Dolphins are nocturnal predators, feeding in the deep waters of
the open ocean at night. During daylight hours, they come to shallow
bays to rest and recoup from the nights feeding activities.
Occasionally, they will visit a shallow water reef or dive site. It is
then that the opportunity to film these graceful creatures underwater
presents itself. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it is the
most magic of moments. |
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In 1997 I had the unique opportunity to film and study a population of
Spinner Dolphins that frequent Midway Atoll in the very extreme
northwest part of the Hawaii Island chain. For almost three months I was
able to be with these magnificent animals in one of the most beautiful
settings I have ever been privileged to film in. These images are the
result of that expedition to Midway Atoll. |
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There are many theories for why it is that Spinner Dolphins’ “spin”. One
possibility is that the dolphins are trying to dislodge a small fish
called a remora that often attaches to their bodies by a special suction
system on the top of the fishes’ head. These little fish are probably
just an irritation, though these images show the damage that they may
inflict on a Spinner Dolphin. Another fish that inflicts a nasty wound
to a Spinner Dolphin is called the cookie-cutter shark. Distending it’s
circular shaped jaws it literally latches on to the body of the dolphin
and twists back and forth until it bites out a perfect circular plug of
flesh, just as its’ name implies. These wounds are usually not fatal to
the dolphin, but they do look very uncomfortable. |
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TIPS FOR SPINNER DOLPHIN PHOTOGRAPHS: Lots of shooting will
provide a few good images. These dolphins are small, fast, and extremely
active at times. I use a medium length zoom in the 70mm-200mm range. A
shutter speed of at least 1/500th of a second will freeze the action.
Often an animal will do a series of leaps so don’t worry if you miss the
first one, just pre-focus on the splash and then try to anticipate the
next leap. Although Spinners may be active during the day, remember they
are in their shallow water bays to rest, just shut down and enjoy a
resting pod of dolphins. A great time to film Spinners is in the late
afternoon as they are “waking up” and heading out from those shallow
bays towards the feeding grounds in deep water. The entire pod is often
in a high energy state and very acrobatic at this time. A film speed in
the ISO 50 to 100 range will be sufficient to get the shutter speeds
needed to freeze Spinners in mid-leap. |
