Give us a kiss, Danny! 15 year old takes stunning dolphin photo

The dolphin, affectionately known locally as Danny and a regular visitor to Swanage, has been captured on film in a remarkable image, appearing to kiss another dolphin in mid air.

In a once in a lifetime chance, the photographer, 15 year old Archie Butterfield took the amazing shot while visiting relatives in Weymouth.

Advertisement 

“I’d really love to do photography professionally”

The dolphins, Danny, Harry and Will are frequently spotted along the Jurassic Coast. This photo titled ‘Give us a kiss!’ shows Danny out of the sea, looking up at Will, who is leaping in the air. Archie said:

“I’ve never really taken photos of dolphins before – I mainly enjoy taking images of insects with a macro lens, and of course lots of photos of my dog, Puddles! I’d really love to do photography professionally – perhaps do an apprenticeship and take it from there.”

“They started performing before us!”

Archie from Derby was with his mother, Rachel when they decided to book an evening cruise. Rachel Butterfield added:

“We took a trip on an organised cruise boat on Monday evening and the guy said that he hadn’t seen any dolphins earlier, so we didn’t have any high expectations. Then while we were on the trip, the skipper spotted them and they started performing before us!

“Archie would like to become a professional photographer when he leaves school. He’s taken some of the most beautiful sunsets. With the dolphin photo, he had his camera on rapid shutter speed and just got it at the right moment.”

Dolphins appearing to kiss in mid air.
Strict copyright: Archie Butterfield

“It’s a fantastic picture”

Timothy Crabbe, who runs the Swanage and Purbeck Photography Facebook Group, praised the image. He said:

“It’s a fantastic picture, well captured and lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Many a photographer would be happy to get that same shot!”

The photograph remains the copyright of Archie Butterfield and must not be reproduced without his express permission.

Remember they are wild creatures

While taking photos of Dolphins is an amazing experience, dolphin experts say that people should remember they are wild creatures and as such, no one should get too close to them on a jet ski or boat.

Graphic about dolphin safety

Share this story

Contact us

Do you have anything to add to this story?

We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.

Advertisement 

Top stories

Storm Ciarán sweeps into Swanage brushing away its flood defences Concrete blocks along Swanage seafront to protect against flooding were strewn across the road by the force of Storm Ciarán, while Studland beaches had about five years of coastal erosion ... 1 month ago BBC snubs Purbeck by filming Enid Blyton stories in Cornwall 1 week ago Polar Express magic arrives in Swanage for Christmas 3 weeks ago Crisis at Swanage Railway as £450,000 survival fund is launched 1 month ago Restaurant with perfect view of Swanage Bay to open in 2024 2 weeks ago

Most recent

Inspiring Christmas trees at Swanage festival A dazzling display of decorated trees is delighting visitors to the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Swanage, for the annual Purbeck Christmas Tree Festival. 19 hours ago Enchanted evenings light up Purbeck secret garden 2 days ago Swanage seafront survey result gives council splitting headache 3 days ago Plans for growth at Swanage community garden 4 days ago Corfe Castle celebrates a big birthday at Xmas 5 days ago