The Buffet Is Open! Eight hundred Dolphins Feast On Fish

By Rebecca Lewis @RebeccaSLewis

HUNDREDS of dolphins appear to fly above the water in a feeding frenzy

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The mammals dive into the water at such speed bubbles can be seen in their wake

The magical pictures show a pod of at least eight hundred dolphins diving into the water to catch fish.

Dolphins attack the pool of fish from all sides

The speed at which the mammals chased after the fish is shown by the stream of bubbles they left in their wake.

A dolphin is seen with a fish in its mouth

The incredible scenes astonished photographers Rainier and Silke Schimpf as the dolphins hunted their prey.

All you can eat buffet! The dolphins are spoilt for choice with their food

The duo live in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and captured the common dolphins along the coastline between Mossel Bay and Port Alfred in March.

Feeding frenzy: The dolphins churn the water as they leap into the air

Pods of up to a thousand common dolphins are common from February to June as they hunt their fish.

Rainier Schimpf aims the camera at one of the dolphins

Rainier said: “Each muscle and drop of Indian Ocean saltwater is visible on these streamline creatures, which swim at speeds of more than 25 knots per hour and travel fast distances of more then 150 km per day.

“They eat fish including mackerels, mass bunker and sardines - if they can out swim them they will herd it together and feed on their prey.

The photographers manage to capture the dolphins in mid-air as they burst from the water

“A dolphin can feed up to 20kg of fish a day.

“They were not irritated nor harmed by the ship, they accepted us next to them and we watched closely how they gather fish up to the surface and eat them.”