Long-beaked common dolphin pod and diving Cape gannets hunting Pacific sardines off the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Long-beaked common dolphin pod and diving Cape gannets hunting Pacific sardines off the Eastern Cape, South Africa (© Pete Oxford/Minden Pictures)
The buffet is open
On World Oceans Day, you’re invited to dinner below the sea, hosted by these long-beaked common dolphins. This pod, off the Eastern Cape in South Africa, is employing an ingenious hunting technique, herding a school of frantic Pacific sardines toward the surface of the water so they have no escape, essentially driving them against a wall. Once pinned near the surface, the sardines are easy pickings for the hungry dolphins and any other lucky bystanders, like these dive-bombing gannets who are quick to pounce on the opportunity. The technique requires the teamwork of course but that comes easy to dolphins, known for their intelligence and tight familial bonds.
© Pete Oxford/Minden Pictures