Watch This Adorable German Shepherd Playfully Swim With Dolphins

This German Shepherd wanted to play! It is obviously fascinated by some dolphins on the water and then decides to leap overboard and join in. As the video shows, it was not quite so easy to get back on the boat!

Watch The Amazing Video Below!

How Do Dogs And Dolphins Interact?

Given that dolphins live in the sea and that dogs are terrestrial animals, their opportunities for interactions are limited. Nevertheless, there are plenty of videos online of dogs apparently ‘playing’ with dolphins either just offshore or leaping from boats.

The consensus of opinion amongst experts seems to be that they are both intelligent and curious animals. So, when they spot each other it’s no surprise that they check each other out – a kind of mutual curiosity that looks to us like play.

Dolphins swim next to boats or close to shore primarily to find food but may also be acting out of curiosity. Here, they are spotted by man’s best friend – the dog!

Dogs can pick up sounds made by the dolphin that we cannot hear. So, dogs know that they are there before they can see them. The Akaroa Dolphins Tourist Centre at Akaroa Harbour in New Zealand even employs a dolphin-spotting dog on each of their boats. These pooches have a 98 percent success rate.

Is It Always Safe to Swim With Dolphins?

The attractions of swimming with dolphins are obvious but is it safe for humans or for the dolphins? British researchers have found evidence that dolphins get stressed when humans swim near or with them. They were unsettled and their resting, socializing and feeding behaviors were altered. This has led some experts to call for regulations to prevent wild swimming with dolphins. Campaigners also state that the effect is amplified for dolphins in captivity who often show many signs of severe stress.

Additionally, there are risks for the humans involved. It is important to remember that dolphins are predators and are even capable of killing some sharks. They are also quite large – an adult dolphin can reach 13 feet in length and weigh up to 650 pounds. There have been reports of captive dolphins head-jerking and biting causing broken bones and skin abrasions. There are other reports of them pushing people into deeper water!