Rangi's clique
Series: Rangi's clique
Locations
Passe de Tiputa, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean
History of the series
A family of around ten common bottlenose dolphins take refuge here for much of the year. These are impressive mammals, whose largest adults can measure up to 3.3 meters and weigh around 450 kg. Their stocky, greyish bodies end in thick beaks: features that make them easy to recognize. Their distinctive upward-curving mouths give them a "smiling" appearance. They were present on all four of our visits.
Using the thrust of our ship, their technical display of aerobatics far surpasses that of water parks. In their natural environment, they zigzag, searching for us with their eyes, and we all rediscover an almost childlike wonder at the spectacle. This morning, as luck would have it, the tide in Tiputa Pass is at slack water, giving the water an authentic calm and striking transparency. This serenity is reflected in the photos, where we can make out the characteristic features of their skin and their exchange of glances. The sun, skimming the horizon, illuminates the dolphin as it seems to soar skyward.
