Making a splash: The playful pod of spotted dolphins show of with some spectacular aerial movesThese amazing pictures show a gang of young, spotted dolphins leaping an incredible 15 feet in the air - high enough to clear a double decker bus.
The six foot long marine mammals are jumping an astounding two and a half times their own body length.
Two boisterous juveniles are shown throwing their weight about in order to teach the one smaller calf how to assert itself within the pod of dolphins they belong to.
And back down we go: The Atlantic Spotted Dolphins were captured by British photographer, Anthony Pierce, 30, from Leeds.
Watch me fly: A spotted dolphin rockets high into the air as it's friends play nearbyThe rarely seen images of three spotted dolphins leaping together were taken by a British photographer, Anthony Pierce, 30, from Leeds.
Anthony was visiting friends who own a catamaran and research marine mammals off the coast of Pico Island in the Azores - the group of Portugese islands in the Atlantic.
'You can see leaping dolphins from a great distance - several miles away,' he explained.
'There are look out posts on the coast that can see for miles out to sea - they send out radio calls to let people know.
Synchronised flipping: Members of the pod of spotted dolphins line up for more aerial acrobatics
Gravity defying: Despite years of research scientists are still at a loss to explain how the dolphins are able to generate enough power to jump so high'It is a very difficult shot to take because they're only above the water for a fraction of a second,' explained Anthony.
'I have to press the shutter down before they break through the surface in order to capture them - because they're so incredibly quick.
'I have to predict where they're going to be.
'Its' a fantastic experience - they're wild animals - not in a sanctuary or in a show somewhere.'
source: dailymail
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