A Northland beach-goer was so eager to capture intimate footage of a pod of dolphins shooting through the surf that she strode impulsively into the sea with her mobile phone.
Ajay Morris' phone is now on the blink after a few too-many splashes, but the footage is safe, and shows numerous dolphins playfully riding the waves at arm's length from ecstatic swimmers.
The footage was taken around 11.30am on Sunday, at Puwheke Beach, on Karikari Peninsula in the Far North.
The experience had an intense effect on the swimmers.
"Everyone was stoked. One of my friends was like 'that was the best day of my entire life' and she's got a child," Ms Morris says.
She says she thinks the pod of over 10 dolphins were brought so close into the shore by her 12-year-old step-daughter, Oceane, and friend's son Manao, who were playing with them further out from shore on jet skis.
"My theory is the dolphins followed the kids in because they wanted to play with the kids," Ajay says.
"So the jet skis sort of brought the dolphins in and they started playing in the surf with all the people you can see in the video."
And the dolphins weren't shy once among the swimmers, Ms Morris says.
"They got really close, I think there were even a few who were swimming in and around the people," she says.
"I don't think so [anyone touched the dolphins] I kind of hope not, I actually think that's why they stuck around for so long.
"They were around for ages, like maybe 10, 15 minutes, it was really cool."
An Auckland local, Ms Morris was on a three-day kite-surfing course on the Karikari Peninsula with her husband of just two weeks when the dolphin close-encounter occurred.
There was even a kind of farewell from the dolphins upon finally leaving.
"They [the dolphins] were definitely pretty keen on playing," she says.
"One dolphin actually waved. I've heard of them doing that, but literally lifted one flipper as they left.
"They didn't completely swim off, they were still hanging around as well.
"Apparently that's where they often hang around a lot, but they don't obviously come into the surf very often so we feel pretty privileged."
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