Spinner dolphins get their name from their spinning leaps. Scientists believe they spin to communicate with each other, to shake off parasites, or simply because it is fun. Each dolphin can spin up to seven times in a single leap before landing back with a splash. Pods sometimes number several hundred dolphins, and when a large group starts leaping and spinning together, the sound and sight is extraordinary.
These dolphins are slender and have a long, narrow beak compared to other dolphin species. Their colouring is beautifully layered - dark grey on top, a lighter stripe along the side, and a pale or pinkish-white belly. They are fast swimmers and often ride the bow waves of boats, surfing the pressure wave pushed in front of the hull.
In the Maldives, spinner dolphins spend the daytime resting in calm, shallow lagoons and venture out into the deeper reef channels at night to hunt fish and squid. Their echolocation - a kind of biological sonar - helps them find prey in the dark water, producing clicks that bounce off fish and return to the dolphins' ears.
Watching a pod of spinner dolphins from a boat in the Maldives is one of the most joyful experiences in nature. Some channels are so reliably visited by dolphins every morning that locals call them 'dolphin roads'. Respectful watching - not chasing or feeding - keeps the dolphins calm and keeps them returning.