JoJo the Dolphin visits us while snorkeling near Little Water Cay

JoJo the Dolphin visits us while snorkeling near Little Water Cay - Iguana Island, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands.

We were in the water, near the anchor chain, when I noticed JoJo floating right in front of us. For the next minute he just floated around and then eventually moved on to visit another boat nearby.

JoJo the Dolphin

JoJo is male, wild and free. He is intelligent and curious and can majestically imitate the movements of a great Manta Ray or perfectly mimic the songs of whales.

JoJo loves to swim and play with Dean and Dean's dog. He can swim up to a 100 km per day at speeds of up to 40 km/hour. JoJo likes to be around people and swims behind boats and visits beaches.

He brings back treasures from the ocean such as turtles, lobsters, starfish and even sharks. He is keen on searching for glass objects that Dean hides for him. Or listening to the sound of Chinese chimes.

JoJo is a lone and sociable Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) weighing 400 kg and is approximately 3 m in length.

It is extremely rare for a dolphin to interact intimately and voluntarily with humans in his own natural environment. This is what makes JoJo such a unique and special dolphin in his own natural environment.

Dean Bernal and
The JoJo Dolphin Project
www.deanandjojostory.com

Fifteen years ago, Dean Bernal was swimming in the ocean off the Turks and Caicos Islands in the British West Indies when he "met" a young, curious male bottlenose dolphin that was known by locals as "JoJo." JoJo followed Dean on his daily swim out to the reef, getting closer each time. Over time, the two bonded in a unique human/dolphin friendship. They still swim and play together, spending hours in the colorful coral reefs among sharks, manta rays, turtles, whale sharks and other dolphins. Says Bernal, "Our relationship is a trusting friendship."

© Horace Dobbs It hasn't always been fun for JoJo and Dean, however. JoJo was so curious about humans that he often approached tourists swimming, snorkeling and diving in the area. Unfortunately, people did not know how to behave around a wild animal. Some people would reach out to touch him, which was seen as aggressive behavior to JoJo, so he sometimes bit back at the offending hand. JoJo got a dangerous reputation and was soon in danger himself. Authorities were threatening to put him in captivity. Dean lead a campaign to become JoJo's official caretaker and had JoJo declared a National Treasure. Now Dean works full-time to protect, not only JoJo, but all marine life in the Turks and Caicos. His work with JoJo has become well-known and has appeared in several television and film documentaries.

Solitary dolphins like JoJo are rare. Dolphins are highly social animals, but it's their own kind with whom they most want to associate. In fact, there are only a few dolphins in the world that seek out human companions. So, why is JoJo alone? We don't know. Bernal leads The JoJo Dolphin Project to help other stranded, injured or entangled dolphins, but also works internationally to protect rare, lone dolphins and whales.

Category:

Pets & Animals

[My007Dog]

I think JoJo was hit by a boat and eventually recovered (must have happened a long time ago).

[CrocoGamers]

@colporteur999 fights? you think dolphins are very friendly?

[colporteur999]

How do they get scars?

[diedsel]

Its beautifull how dolphins can interact with humans, he got alot of scars though.

Maybe over-excitement causes him alot of injuries?

Look at Moko the dolphin he past away and had alot of scars also.

But i dont want them to put JoJo in captivity, its his own choice to interact with humans. Nice footage!