Dolphins put on a show at Hatteras Island beach…WITH VIDEO

A pod of dolphins put on a big show for Hatteras resident Brian McArthur during a Sunday morning beach trip along ORV Ramp 55 near Hatteras Inlet, who fortunately caught the wild encounter on his camera less than 30 seconds after it began.

Dolphins and porpoises are spotted along the Outer Banks shoreline throughout the year, although sightings are most common in the winter months. Though typically seen in pods of two or more, it’s unusual to spot these local residents fully jumping out of the ocean waves.

Dolphins can jump out of water for several reasons. Often, they use this maneuver to examine the shape of the coastline for navigational purposes, or to look for nearby feeding birds in order to determine where to find fish. Dolphins can also jump out of the water to identify the location of the other members of the pod, or other critters sharing the local waters.