A heartwarming video has emerged which shows a mother dolphin’s joy after fishermen released her calf from a fishing net.
The baby dolphin had become entangled in the net off the island of Procida, near Naples in Italy, but was fortunately set free by the kindly fishermen.
The mother dolphin appeared to be delighted and relieved by the safe return of her baby; proceeding to give a beautiful series of joyful jumps in full view of the fishermen. It seemed as though she was expressing gratitude towards the humans for showing compassion for her little one.
You can watch the life-affirming clip for yourself below:
In the video, the fisherman can be heard cheering the jubilant mother as she gives her breathtaking performance. Leaping high above the exquisite blue of the ocean, the mum almost looks like she could fly with sheer happiness.
There may not be a shared language between humans and dolphins, but the emotional connection shown within this video just proves how communication can sometimes go beyond words.
The footage was recently shared by Mario Polizzi, and has since sparked smiles amongst dolphin lovers all across the world.
Those who have viewed the video have been touched by the gratitude shown by the mother dolphin, and the evident love she has for her young calf.
One person commented:
That was absolutely spectacular; one very happy mum dolphin showing so much gratitude at being reunited with its calf is truly heartwarming.
Another said:
Beautiful. Brings tears to my eyes. Dolphins are really evolved and intelligent creatures.
Of course, we can’t know exactly what the mama dolphin was thinking about when she displayed her astonishing series of jumps. However, we do know dolphins make for marvellous mothers, and are even said to sing to their babies while still carrying them in the womb.
Dolphin mothers are known to be excellent teachers, showing patience and dedication as they devote themselves to giving their offspring the best possible start in life.
According to the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program website, dolphin calves will usually stay by their mother’s side for approximately three to six years.
During this time, calves will receive a full and varied education on how to thrive as an adult dolphin; honing skills such as catching prey, avoiding dangers, socialising and finding their way around in their ocean home.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.