Photographing dolphins is easily one of the most challenging—and humbling—pursuits I’ve experienced in wildlife photography. No matter where I aim my camera, the action always seems to unfold somewhere else.
While in the Gulf of California, off Baja California, Mexico, I had the privilege of photographing a large pod of bottlenose dolphins feeding on sardines. As the golden light of day began to fade, I was in a Zodiac with my Canon R5ii and a 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. The light was low, the pace was high, and I needed something fast and flexible. I opted to shoot a little wider, knowing that cropping later would give me more room for error in such a fast-moving situation.
As the pod grew more excited, dolphins began leaping in all directions. For once, I was facing the right way. Two dolphins soared out of the water in unison, and everything clicked: the framing, the body positions, the colors of the sky—and to my surprise, a distant mountain peak perfectly aligned in the background between them.
I captured about 30 frames in that brief sequence, but the very first shot was the one. The symmetry, the mood, and that accidental framing with the peak—it all came together in a single, split-second moment.
This image is a reminder that sometimes, success in wildlife photography lies in patience, preparation, and just enough luck to face the right direction when nature decides to put on a show.
