for a sustained 70 minutes, approaching to within a few feet. Crucially, no-one chased the dolphins, and I believe that’ s the reason the encounter lasted as long as our gas.
Spinner society
A smaller species, spinner dolphins seek the protection afforded by the reef systems of the Fury Shoal in southern Egypt. Sataya is a crescent-shaped reef known for its tranquil lagoon and large pods of spinners. They are known for their acrobatic spinning displays, leaping clear of the surface. Unlike the wide-ranging bottlenose, spinners are found only in tropical waters and reach a modest body mass of 25-79kg.
Spinners are generally shy and tend to stay away from divers. However they are frequently attracted to boats, playing in the bow wave and performing their signature twisting leaps. This is the first step to winning their favour. The idea is for snorkellers to enter the water a respectful distance away from the pod, in the hope their wariness will give way to curiosity. The lagoons of southern Egypt are a perfect refuge for spinner dolphins, and highly photogenic thanks to the brilliant white sand on the seabed.
This scenario – as with most dolphin
A wild bottlenose dolphin with a golden retriever dog, Antar. The dog lives on a boat in the Red Sea and spends his days watching for dolphins, jumping into the water when they see him
encounters – is completely dependent on snorkelling, so it helps to be a reasonably strong swimmer. Over the course of a session you may be picked up and dropped back in the water several times. If there’ s a lot of people present at the site, a good guide should generally keep you away from the crowd.
Best practice is much the same as it is with bottlenose dolphins. Stay calm and measured in your movements; try to swim adjacent to the pod rather than aiming directly at them. A direct approach may resemble an attack; they will simply swim away. I do think there is some merit in the theory that they are attracted to people with good duck-diving skills, but always be aware of your own limitations. You will already be tired from swimming, so don’ t dive beyond your comfort zone.
PHOTO: ALEX MUSTARD
A pod of spinner dolphins Stenella longirostris at Sataya Reef, Marsa Alam, Egypt
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PHOTO: ALEX MUSTARD