A remarkable photo shows the moment a surfer was nearly knocked off his board by a playful dolphin – as perfect conditions on the east coast brought them out in droves.
Dozens of dolphins joined surfers on the waves at The Pass, a beach in Byron Bay, NSW, at the weekend, with north-westerly winds from Cyclone Gabrielle whipping up a decent swell.
‘The surfers were having the time of their lives but the dolphins were having more fun,’ amateur photographer Paul Stanley-Jones told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Some waves had 10, 20, 30 dolphins under them.’
One photo in particular – where a dolphin almost appears to collide with a surfer – caught the eye of locals, with many Byron residents expressing amazement at just how eager the dolphins were to frolic with humans.
A surfer was nearly knocked off his board by a playful dolphin at The Pass, in Byron Bay, NSW, on Sunday
Mr Stanley-Jones – who has surfed since he was six-years-old – said of surfing with the majestic animals: ‘It’s pretty hairy the first time they swim with you.
‘They’re not small creatures, but it’s magical once you get used to them swimming under your board and alongside you.’
Mr Stanley-Jones said he often goes out to admire the the waves when he can’t enter them himself.
‘I print photos for surfers when I can grab them because its one thing to live it while you’re out there, but when someone captures it you can relive it forever.’
‘Some waves had 10, 20, 30 dolphins under them,’ photographer Paul Stanley-Jones told Daily Mail Australia
He was unable to locate the unidentified surfers, but is keen to offer them high-quality prints of the pictures he took.
Mr Stanley-Jones said after Cyclone Gabrielle hit New Zealand’s northern island it created perfect wind conditions for a day in the surf.
When he got out there he expected to spend an hour snapping pictures but ended up seated for over seven hours after the dolphins arrived, walking away with over 680 photos in his camera-roll.
‘They’re such beautiful, inquisitive creatures,’ Mr Stanley-Jones said.
‘As surfers, when there’s dolphins around apparently there’s no sharks.
‘I don’t know if that’s true, but I’ve never seen a shark out there when there’s dolphins around.’
The Pass (pictured) is one of three main beaches at Byron Bay, NSW, and is a popular location for learning how to surf
