You Can't Keep Excitement "BOTTLED" Up

Cliff has described the situation well in his introduction below. You never know if they'll turn up and even when they do you don't know how they will behave or how long they will stay. There were five on this occasion and as far as I can tell Ringo and Appache were absent. However, Notch and Scratchy from last year were + three others. They were just mooching around at first and then the hunt started with dolphins shooting off in all directions. There was one sequence I shot which at first looked like a fish chase but it became apparent during proccessing that they were having some sport with a Gannet. As they were moving outward a Gannet dived in front of them and they reacted to it which we naturally assumed was for some fish. But the next fourty seconds or so's action was extraordinary. I'll let the pictures below tell it as it happened. Before enlarging the images for a better look please take time to read the sub titles to get a feel for the event. There's more from this shoot that I'll post later.

Dolphin slams on the brakes and does tight turn around the Gannet

Gannet totally bemused and wisely keeps his feet out of the water.

Dolphin rolls onto Gannet which is in the spray right of dolphin.

Shortly after another dolphin leaps and dives toward gannet.

Gannet still bemused and not sure what to do.

Nothing here right? The dolphin gently took the Gannet under with it's tail.

Gannet pops up again and another dolhin charges in.

Gannet still hasn't got the maessage.

Gannet stretches his neck for a better look.

Then out of the blue the threat is now very real.

The Gannet recoils as the dolphin eyes him up from inches away.

I'm sure he must be thinking what's coming next.

Gannet starts to come to his senses and realises it's time to get out.

Finally with a dolphin hard on his heels he makes his escape.