During my most recent trip I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Whilst swimming with a pod of dolphins which had become familiar to us on this trip, I noticed a group of them playing with a piece of seaweed. They were passing it to each other, from fin to fin, beak to beak and often dropping it for another dolphin to swoop in and retrieve. The dolphins were a mixed group but those playing with the seaweed were small and therefore quite young. At one point I realised that a dolphin had dropped the piece of seaweed right beside me and none of them came to get it, so I grabbed it and whilst swimming alongside two of the younger dolphins trailed the seaweed near to their beaks. A number of times they came really close to taking it from my hand and at the last moment pulled back. After some time playing ‘the seaweed game’ with the young dolphins a much larger and older dolphin suddenly appeared and looking straight and deep into my eyes with, what I swear seemed to be a knowing smile, and plucked the piece of seaweed out of my hand. I was stunned and if two of my companions had not also seem the event, I would hardly have believed it had actually happened. I felt that I had been granted a huge privilege; the ultimate acceptance from a wild dolphin. My life would never be the same again and suddenly anything seemed possible.
