Clear waters and just the sound of dolphins breathing off the beach in Avalon
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With spring's arrival, pods of dolphins are now a common sight along the Jersey Shore. But one paddleboarder got an unusually close encounter off the beach in Avalon last week and managed to capture some strikingly gorgeous video.
Nikolas Pattanyus, 39, of Avalon, describes the May 12 video on his Vimeo page as "A pre-dawn encounter with some very curious dolphins" off the beach in Cape May County. The conditions were perfect for some extraordinary footage: windless weather with clear glassy seas and a silence that allows the viewer to hear the dolphins' breathing each time they surface for air.
The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits anyone from harassing or feeding dolphins. Experts warn getting too close could be downright dangerous.
And dolphin viewing guidelines written by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommend coming no closer than 150 feet from dolphins.
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Of course, as any watersport enthusiast who's ever had a curious dolphin come and investigate them can attest, the dolphins themselves don't always follow these rules.
Pattanyus, who has surfed for 30 years and often paddleboards to see dolphins, says he never aggressively pursues them. He's also in close contact with officials at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, who have watched his videos and have advised him on best practices for watching dolphins.
"I have to be really careful that what I'm doing isn't harassing or chasing them," he said. "I let them dictate the terms of the encounter."