A baby dolphin filmed off the shores of Port Stephens has taken the internet by storm.
The short video, captured by Dolphin Swim Australia, shows the unusually small calf leaping through the open water beside its pod.
While the baby dolphin barely made a splash, the clip has generated more than 130 million views across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok after two distinct viral waves.
But Dolphin Swim Australia owner-operator Adam Wiltshire said that despite the name, the common dolphin's size is hardly the most interesting thing about it.
The species is one of the most acrobatic animals of the sea, and Mr Wiltshire said it's not uncommon to see a pod playing "seaweed soccer", swimming and leaping alongside the boat.
"They'll flick it back to their tail, up to their dorsal and then pass it to their mate for literally no other reason than having fun," Mr Wiltshire said.
"Occasionally they'll let us get involved, and they'll drop a piece of seaweed for us to pick up, which is always pretty special."
Mr Wiltshire said the now-famous baby dolphin was about 40 centimetres long, and is one of the smallest he's ever seen.
"It's definitely not normal to see them that small, but they all have their own personalities, some of them are a lot braver and will come a lot closer and that one was just all over us with its mum," he said.
Mr Wiltshire said the reason the baby dolphin was leaping out of the water was not just to show off its skills, but because it does not yet know where its blowhole is.
"They actually launch themselves out of the water because that's the best chance of not getting any water in their blowhole," he said.
"They're kind of actually pretty 'unco' (uncoordinated) at that stage."
Dolphin Swim Australia is based in Nelson Bay and operates the only permitted wild dolphin swim in the state.
Its encounters are governed by strict wildlife guidelines: dolphins are never fed, chased, touched or trained, and every interaction depends on the animals choosing whether to approach.
Mr Wiltshire hopes the viral video, which has generated joy around the globe, encourages even a fraction of viewers to care more deeply about wild dolphins.
"We're just blown away," he said.
"It's gotten so big that there's just no way of keeping up with it."
The video has apparently even captured the attention of Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson, who became associated with dolphins because of a viral 2024 TikTok trend that paired her 2017 hit song Symphony with colourful images of jumping dolphins.
Mr Wiltshire said the pop star reposted the video, much to the excitement of his staff.
"They did a dedication because she's touring Australia and they wanted her to come out on the boat," he said.
"We haven't heard anything yet, but fingers crossed."
