Dance Of The Dolphins

Dance Of The Dolphins

Photographer Greg Huglin of Santa Barbara, Calif., captured these striking images of bottlenose dolphins during three trips to the South African coast between 2000 and 2007. He shot the photos along a stretch of coastline between Port Elizabeth and Wilderness. (Photo by Greg Huglin)

Huglin said it's both humbling and exciting to be in the presence of such powerful animals. “Bottlenose dolphins are the ones that do all the really fancy surfing”, he said. “They’re up to 12 feet long, those suckers. ... When you put your hand on one of them, they’re solid muscle. It’s amazing how powerful they are”. (Photo by Greg Huglin)

Huglin shot this photo from a motorized sailplane. Five bottlenose dolphins can be seen just taking off on the peak of a wave. “They’re tapping the energy of the wave and being pulled forward”, he said. “This is actually a pretty late takeoff”. (Photo by Greg Huglin)

Pod of playful dolphins surfing in waves. (Photo by Greg Huglin)