By chance we met a couple who told us that it was an open secret, that the locals caught fish of the pier at Amity, and fed them to the dolphins. Apparently lights had been put in some 3 decades prior, and the dolphins had arrived to chase the Pike that were attracted to the lights. Fisherman would throw too small fish back into the water – and a fish too long out of water is pretty easy pickings for a dolphin!

Soon, the dolphins were being fed on purpose, then after a while, allowed themselves to be hand fed. We had to go, and see it live of course. We packed up a pick nick dinner for Trish’s family and us, and headed down to the pier.

When we arrived, the dolphins were not around, having moved further down the beach, but a small crowed had gather on the jetty. We thought perhaps we’d missed out. Then we saw some commotion down the beach and we ran down to check it out. A girl was in the water holding pieces of squid, and the dolphins were taking it from her.

Ayesha, never one for being slow to step up, stripped off, asked for some squid and hand fed a dolphin whilst in waist deep water. Meanwhile, Orlando who’d missed out came with me back to the pier, where we borrowed some fishing fear, he caught a fish on his first cast and then hand fed it to a dolphin. (Now THAT was going to be a difficult first fishing experience to live up to). Ayesha followed suit with a fish shortly after and it was on! We had so much fun fishing and feeding the dolphins.

To add to the excitement, there was a colourful gent fishing for sharks off the same pier, and he hooked a dolphin. The kids and us were horrified! He just shook his head at us and laughed. "Don’t worry, dolphins are too smart to get hooked" And true to his word, he cranked and yanked and the dolphin who had been holding the hooked fish sideways in its mouth, let go. It’s not something I’d do, but this guy seemed to know what he was on about.

We caught around 10 fish that night and the dolphins were happy! Then someone thought it would be fine to take a photo using a flash and that scared the dolphins away,well it was time to head home anyway. Trish and crew had left ages ago.

We left the colourful gent as he pumped his reel trying to land a big shark….. we think it got away as well though.