Unexpected Visitor
It was a lovely day by the beach in Cooloola, Queensland, Australia. The Barnacles Café has been a hot stop for visitors looking to cool off or just to enjoy a lovely day at the coast. One morning, a visitor spotted something peculiar in the water, and it seemed to be getting closer to the shore.
He wasn't sure if his eyes were deceiving him. It looked like a medium-sized shark swimming towards the cafe..."No, it looks smaller, " he thought, but his expression changed as it grew closer. It was a dolphin! But there was something unusual that it was carrying. Bewildered by sight, the visitor simply couldn't believe his eyes. Soon all the visitors in the cafe stood up to see what was going on in the water.
Dolphin Feeding Bay
A two-hour drive from Brisbane and someone can find themselves in a lovely small coastal town called Tin Can Bay. Flocks of tourists crowd the Tin Can Bay every year for one purpose only...to feed dolphins. These magnificent and intelligent creatures swim carefully to the shore as a bunch of people offer them food or treats. It has been a leisure activity for tourists and even for locals.
Several people and staff have grown accustomed to these gentle creatures and apparently, given names to most of them. The "regulars" swim to the staff to greet them waiting for their snack. However, there is one particular dolphin they all just love and adore. His name is Scar.
Scar The Dolphin
In the 1950s, locals who were having a stroll down the bay saw something lying on the beachfront. Since they were accustomed to seeing several sea creatures by the bay, they hurriedly ran towards it, thinking it might be injured and needed help. Racing towards the sight, one of them knelt to inspect it.
Stifling a sob, she saw a poor injured dolphin, and right away, they called for help. With the help of the other locals, they were able to treat and rehabilitate the dolphin. "The people of Tin Can Bay cared for him for quite some time, and when he was well enough he went back out into the Southern Sandy Strait," said volunteer Bev Lambert from the Barnacles Dolphin Centre.
Thankful Spirit
Since that unfortunate night, Scar has been visiting the bay quite frequently. In addition to his routine, he would swim up and around the bay enjoying the sun and water. When it's time for feeding, he would bring a bunch of friends to shore.
The staff believes that Scar goes back to them frequently to say, "Thank you for helping me that night and for being so kind"! This has been a heartwarming notion that forms the bond between the staff and these lovely animals. However, in the 1980s Scar disappeared.
Meeting The Pod
The family of dolphins who come to the bay also have names. The alpha male, Mystique, cheeky, and a brazen one, has special skills that we will get to know more about later. The other members are Patch, another male, Ella, and her baby Joe. Another mom and child pair is Aussie the mom and Luna the calf.
These are the "regular" but once in a blue moon, they get visits from Mr. Harmony and Mr. Squirt, who the volunteers say are very bashful! Seeing the whole pod and occasional visitors must be a great experience!
A Devote Volunteer
Bev Lambert who has been volunteering for twelve years at the Bay Dolphin Center has a bunch of stories to share about these creatures! She said, "We have Australian humpback dolphins, they don't go out into the deep ocean at all." Therefore, they can easily come to shore to say hi to their friends.
In addition, the volunteers educated the tourists about how to treat these dolphins. They only feed three kilograms of fish per feeding session as to not fill up their bellies to the brim which allows them to still hunt and find food in the wild. The staff also makes sure the dolphins were not touched.
Family Descendant
Another male Dolphin has caught the volunteer's heart because they believe that he is Scar's grandson. This lively humpback whale has been named, Mystique. The pod of dolphins who come to shore is made up of six dolphins including two babies who have been also seen feeding on their mothers.
Mystique has always been a show-off, doing flips by the water or calling out to the people on the beach. One of the staff shared, "He stands out because he gets raked up fighting with other males," Ms. McPherson said. What a feisty dolphin and you would be surprised with what he has come up to do!
Enjoys His Company
The staff surely enjoys themselves once Mystique is around. He would grab their attention and one volunteer said, "Just about every day he comes in, and sometimes if he's late he comes in with a flurry as if to say 'I'm here'."
Mystique presence brings a whole new level of joy to the volunteers and the tourists. Another staff member shared, "The dolphins just love the interaction with the people. That's what they come here for, not for the food but for the interaction with the people." What a lovely notion!
Good Reviews
Tin Can Bay's Barnacles Dolphin Centre had also received raving reviews about their center. It is a place where humans can spend time with these extraordinary animals and share a bond that no other interaction can give. Even students from different schools come to visit and feed the dolphins.
Karina La Malfa, who came from Syndey, said, "I've always loved dolphins but never been that close. It's really good". Another visitor from the Netherlands, Tim Floor, shared, "It's a great experience. I do appreciate the fact that these are wild ones. If they were captive, maybe we wouldn't have come".
Bringing More Than Himself
Mystique who has been said to guide the pod to the people doesn't only bring other friends for the feeding. As if like a human being, he brings a token for the feeders every time he comes. While swimming towards shore, he would guide an offering using his nose!
Imagine seeing a wild dolphin carrying something on his nose and giving it to a human. This seems like a scene from a cartoon show or movie, right?
Random Things From The Sea
He brazenly brings shiny and bright corals, a bark of wood, and colorful seashells, which are only a few things from a hundred knick-knacks in the sea. However, these tokens are not for free because our little guy expects something in return!
What could be the most appealing treat for a dolphin...a ball, a pat of the head, or maybe a piece of juicy fish? Yes, you got that right! Mr. Mystique deserves a piece of fish for his offering and he definitely knows what he wants!
Spot Him Easily
At first glance, Mystique might look like an ordinary dolphin but there is only one feature that separates him from the others. In 2007, he was attacked by a bull share that injured him pretty badly. Fortunately, he was able to recover but something was different with his looks.
Some parts of his tail and dorsal fin are missing, making him look weak and sick. On the contrary, volunteers love Mystiques's energy! He brings so much joy and positivity to the tourists especially because of his unusual habit of bringing gifts!
Hidden Treasures
When Mystique gives up his offering he would use his nose to toss the item over to the volunteers or locals. Sometimes his aim is absolute perfection but occasionally he would throw it too far or come up short. One person shared, "He gets under it [and] if he drops it too far out, or we say 'come on, that's not good enough', then he gets underneath it and brings it to us."
Afterward, he swims away and brings up another item from the sea, and tries again. Some people speculate that he has a hidden space underwater where he collects all of his knick-knacks for offerings. Well, we will never know until we find it!
Fewer Customers
Due to the pandemic for the past two years, tourists barely come to the Tin Can Bay. Maybe because of fewer people feeding the pod Mystique has been bringing them more gifts! He wonders why no more people come to visit him and to react to this he thought he might bring more tokens to lure more people.
This heart-breaking notion may melt your heart, but the volunteers still try their best to feed Mystique and his pod, showing them that the human race hasn't abandoned them. They do enjoy his gifts, and they even collect all that he brings onshore.
His Own Disposition
"We haven't trained him, but he has trained us to do this," one person shared. One might think that this behavior must have been trained to be able to execute said behavior frequently. However, this little guy came up with it on his own!
On the other hand, he was the one who taught the staff to give him food every time he brings a gift. What a smart animal! Soon, he might have a bucket of fish compared to just a piece. Way to go, buddy!
Own Nickname
The story of Mystique has spread throughout the smalltown and even the whole country. Reports of a dolphin bringing gifts in exchange for food have flooded the media. With fame comes a new nickname, right?
Mystique has been called several names but the people have dubbed him as the "Avid Treasure Hunter". Does it fit the personality? People might wish that he could bring something worth more than a piece of corral or wood!
A Year Ago
Since 2020, BoredPanda called the feeding center to check up on Mystique. The volunteer responded that he was doing great but he truly missed the people coming to visit him. On March 25-28, the Barnacles Cafe & Dolphin Feeding closed because of the pandemic.
Therefore, no one came to visit the pod of Dolphins for a while. “He had always brought us gifts, but only since the lockdown closure has he been bringing in multiple gifts each morning”, someone shared.
The Only One
For more than a decade, you might expect that the other dolphins might get influenced by Mystique's behavior. The dolphins in his pod may realize that he gets one fish for one offer, but no! He is the one and only one to do this.
People have wondered why he was the only one bringing gifts. Is it because he is the pod leader, or maybe the other dolphins are just lazy to get tokens for the people?
Smart Little Guy
We may never know what goes inside Mystique's head and why he does these things, but regardless, people who visit them treat them with love and respect just as every living being should be.
The intelligent and witty dolphin knows how to get his way and even keeps the pod in line. So if you think you can catch more than you are allowed to, you have to face the wrath of Mystique!
Viral Coverage
Mystique's story had gone viral in the last few years! People all over the globe have been following his life and many people just had to spread these good vibes to others. Many followers were inclined to visit when the pandemic was over and share pictures of him all over social media.
Some of the comments are so endearing, while some are hilarious. Let's see what netizens have to say about our cuddly and happy boy, Mystique!
Clean Up Your Trash
Yahya Jeelani, a commenter on Facebook, said, "Yes. It seems it trying to say, "That's all your mess I found at the bottom of my home."It makes sense why he would say that because of the amount of pollution in the ocean.
Maybe, he is giving us a friendly reminder not to dump anything into the ocean, even wine bottles. We never know how much damage this can bring to the homes of these social creatures.
An Old Friend
Trish Kalli shared her experience on Facebook. As being the sight for dolphin feeding, Trish tried the amazing experience in Tin Can Bay. In 2009, Mystique was still very young that time and he was just as adorable.
She treasures their memories together even after a few years. Definitely, Mystique feels the same way about his visitors. These are not the only good comments we've heard about the dolphins. On another note, this might be a concerning comment.
Concerned Citizen
Our friend, Mercia Romeo, had other concerns in mind regarding our slippery friends. Maybe with all the dolphin hunting, we've seen on the internet, this concern is as important. She might be scared that they will be hunted down and sold for parts!
Some people find it sarcastic but these creatures are in safe hands. With a feeding center nearby, there are for sure people who look after the wellbeing of the dolphins. Mr. Mystique might get in a few fights or too if someone messed with his pod!
Environmental Concern
Come to think of it, and it makes so much sense for Mystique to clean up his home. Who would want trash lying around in your backyard every time you go outside? Juan Figueroa feels the same sentiment!
Their message could be a wake-up call to us humans. Even dolphins are teaching us a lesson, so never underestimate their intentions and intelligence. Mystique may have a few tricks up his sleeve!
Learn From Animals
Some people might take animals for granted, especially the ones we do not see. Take, for example, the dolphins. Only people who visit them or live by the ocean interact with a dolphin, so we don't see if our action affects them.
Being apathetic to them will not garner anything good for us, and Adele Hawksworth knows what we are talking about. Learn from these creatures because they might be telling us something important.
Hilarious Humor
On the lighter side, here's a picture of Mystique bringing a pair of sunglasses to the volunteers. Maybe he thought, "It was getting too sunny outside, maybe you need these?" Imagine a moment where a dolphin was wearing glasses and coming your way.
Would you burst out in laughter or sprint to the opposite side? Since their caring and gentle creatures, I would probably do the former and give it lots of hugs!
Missing Sunnies
Jane Potter a netizen who commented on the previous picture shared that she lost her sunglasses under the boat ramp. She might as well have a word with Mystique to salvage her lost item!
Wonder how many lost glasses, phones, cameras, hats, etc., were lost in that part of the bay. These knick-knacks might add to the vast collection of Mystique. However, these are not the only items lost underwater. Let's hear out our friend, Joanne Dodt!
Finder of Lost Things
It must have been a rocky day at the bay, or Joanne's husband was just clumsy. He apparently dropped his hammer overboard on his boat, and the couple might need some extra assistance. Perhaps, the swimming kind.
He asks if Mystique could look around by their boat to retrieve the lost hammer. She also shared that she has seen him swimming around the boat frequently. Why not give it a shot, Joanne? Just be sure to have a spare of fresh fish ready!
Doing Our Part
These friendly dolphins have been visiting the bay for a very long time and the locals and the staff feel that it is their part to take care of them. They urge people to visit and donate to their cause. They also keep the bay clean so that their home wouldn't be polluted which makes them visit more often.
They definitely feel the love and emotion from these creatures even if they don't speak the language because, through their tender interaction with them, we already know how much they love to be with humans.
Supporting These Animals
The Barnacles Cafe & Dolphin Feeding call out to people who want to give back to the environment and these creatures. Because of the pandemic, they have experienced the loss of customers and donations to keep their foundation afloat.
So if you are a dolphin enthusiast and would love to learn more about them, visit these dolphins and be sure to say, "Hi!" to Mystique and his friends. Remember to spread good vibes as we learned from the expert, Mr. Mystique!