Even the Pelican was surprised at this one. There was only one big splash, which I never did see.
This stranding was down the shore from my spot, along a steep incline.
Pelicans will steal fish right in the middle of a feeding. This one never had the opportunity.
From start to finish this chase was just 5 seconds.
This was a stranding that involved 3 adult Dolphins. The charge was very successful given the number of large fish driven to shore.
Both Dolphin above have grabbed fish. There were fish flying through the air to escape.
Click, double tap, any image to view gallery size.
When there is more than one Dolphin pushing the fish the amount of water displaced is amazing. They create their own waves, real waves.
They are on shore for only a moment, just long enough to grab fish. Then each will roll back into the water. And again, waves and huge splashes of water.
Click, double tap, any image to view gallery size.
It’s not easy to photograph an animal underwater, from the shore. Most all the images I capture are a dorsal fin sticking out of the water. Hardly exciting, unless you are there.
You don’t typically see much of Dolphins feeding, or even stranding, until the last few seconds. However a lot happens up to that point.
The first clue is the huge exhale, breathing through their blow hole. In this place it is loud, and close. Dolphins first swim close, along the shore looking up to be sure there is no danger on the sand where the fish will be stranded.
They also move as a group. Above there are 2 in this soft light swimming just feet off shore.
In the last image there is a little more happening. The dorsal fin close to me shows a Dolphin slowly gliding by. The back fin is not the same. Compare that fin to all the photographs in this article.
Several of us noticed sharks following the schools. Most likely this was a shark moving along with the Dolphins.
While out the other day we captured 6 or 7 different strandings. Some were closer or better angles than others but each was a great opportunity.
In future articles I will group images of individual strandings for a little more detail.
Nothing short of explosive. I could see the water start to be worked, almost a whirlpool effect directly in front of me.
The charge was still unexpectedly swift. Look at the vast waves created by the animal. This was a full size adult so perhaps 12 feet (3.6 m)Â in length.
It was a good day of footage for the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network video projects by Ramage Productions. I’m still not sure how many stills I came away with.
Time to add something other than birds, even pink ones.
This is a pod of Dolphins pushing fish to the shore. A group around the South Carolina Lowcountry is one of the few that have learned to herd and ‘strand’ fish on the shore.
This particular hunt included 6 adults. A young calf was swimming off shore in water a little deeper.
Pretty dramatic.
This stranding was a large one. I counted 5 Dolphin in the charge, an adult and young calf a little behind in the water. There was not a sound until a huge crashing wave hit shore.
There was a substantial number of fish pushed to shore.
The Dolphins came in shoulder to shoulder, almost in a straight line. I never noticed that before. It was an impressive well rehearsed charge.
In the above it looks like a wall of charging Dolphin.
As they rolled back into the water Dolphin were still grabbing the flying fish.
The strand from start to finish was 9 seconds. That makes me feel a little better when I’m out of focus or miss one.
There a few things as spectacular as Dolphins stranding. If you are not looking you may miss the water seem to rise up. But when they hit the shore, enormous splashing waves immediately get your attention.
Sometimes it’s a single animal, with a few small fish. But here, it’s a full Dolphin pod and a large school they pushed to shore.
Did I mention they are almost the size of a Honda sedan?
