Spinner Dolphins | Hana Hou! Magazine

Earlier this year I worked on a dream assignment for Hana Hou! The Hawaiian Airlines Magazine where I got to both swim with wild dolphins on Oahu and Big Island and learn from dolphin researchers about dolphin-human interaction and their resting behaviors. Swimming with wild dolphins is one of the most amazing, surreal ocean experiences you can have on the islands but new research suggests too much interaction may affect their sleep patterns and ability to communicate, hunt, and reproduce. Spinner Dolphins forage at night and sleep during the day, swimming and breathing in synchronized movement with their friends, resting in sheltered bays close to shore makes them a prime target for the tourism industry here. It was fascinating learning about these beautiful creatures and incredible to see them up close in their environment. Many thanks to Hawaii Nautical, Dolphin Discoveries, KoOlina Ocean Adventures and Dolphins and You for their awesome tours. Check back soon to see the other side of this story, following dolphin researchers in the field at Kealakekua Bay.