Hitching a Ride

A pod of dolphins spot a tanker and hitch a ride by surfing the bow pressure wave.



When I was crossing the Pacific and Indian Oceans aboard the USS Tarawa, many of us would stand on the lowered elevators at the hanger deck level in the evenings to smoke and watch the sunset. Sometimes a pod of dolphins would come alongside and perform for us with backflips, tail-walks and other stunts. Dolphins are all class clowns and crave an audience.