Spinner dolphins can be found all over the Hawaiian islands, but especially in the shallow, clear, sandy-bottomed waters near Kailua-Kona.
Spinner dolphins are named for their playful above-water spinning and acrobatics. These joyful mammals spend daylight hours cruising and sleeping in clear shallows where threats are easier to spot.
Spinners head out to sea in the evenings to hunt, spending the entire evening braving the open ocean fishing for food in the darkness using sonar and teamwork.
This picture was taken near the Kailua-Kona pier during the dolphins’ rest and sleep cycle.
