A remarkable encounter between a father and son and a curious dolphin off northern Perth has been captured on camera, leaving the family stunned.
Ricky and Noah Plant, from West Australia, were fishing about five kilometers off Two Rocks during a school holiday trip when the dolphin approached them.
The father, Ricky, was amazed by the experience, saying, “I was blown away. I’ve spent my whole life on the ocean and I’ve never seen anything like that before.” The encounter was even more extraordinary as the entire pod of dolphins hovered nearby, diving in and jumping out of the water.
Noah recalled how the dolphin followed them when they moved their boat a couple of kilometers away, getting so close that it almost came inside the boat. “It was very friendly, and so was the whole pod,” Ricky said, adding that there were around 20 dolphins, all playing around the boat.
Experts noted that while bottlenose dolphins are known for their curiosity, this behavior is unusual and more typical of animals raised in captivity. Approximately 35 years ago, some dolphins from the now-closed Atlantis Marine Park in Two Rocks were released into the wild, and this pod may have originated from those animals.
The unforgettable encounter left a lasting impression on the family. “I’ll never forget that moment,” Ricky said.
