Nai’a is the Hawaiian name for these spectacular showboaters the Spinner Dolphin. I came across a pod whilst out on a boat trip on a visit to Maui a few years back and when they are in a playful mood they are great to watch, but a nightmare to try and photograph! Worldwide there are four different subspecies of ‘spinners’ and the Hawaiian spinner (Stenella longirostris) is one of them. During the day they can often be found resting in shallows off Maui and Lana’i, but they feed well offshore on the likes of fish, shrimp and squid once the day starts to wane. They are known for jumping high and spinning several times whilst in the air (below) and they can put on quite the show when they’re up for it, but if seen resting should be left well alone – they need their valuable sleep.
