Spinner dolphins of the Red Sea: 12 facts from the guides

Every trip starts with a briefing about the animal you are about to meet. These are the facts our guides repeat most.

• Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) are 1.6 to 2 m long and weigh 45 to 75 kg, smaller and slimmer than bottlenose dolphins.
• They are named for their leaps: a spinner can rotate up to seven times in one jump.
• They hunt at night in deep water for lanternfish and squid that rise toward the surface after dark.
• By day they rest in shallow, sheltered lagoons. Samadai and Sataya are the two best in Egypt.
• Resting dolphins swim slowly in tight formation and breathe in sync. That is when you float still.
• Pods at Samadai average about 60; Sataya holds 100 to 200.
• Calves stay close to their mothers for a year or more. Guides keep extra distance from mother-calf pairs.
• They use echolocation and can "see" you long before you see them.
• They do not like splashing, whistling or being approached head-on. Float sideways and quiet.
• Bottlenose dolphins visit the same reefs; they are bigger, greyer and more curious.
• Numbers at Samadai peak from May to July and are lowest from February to April.
• The best encounters last: guests who stay still for ten minutes get the pod passing through them, not around them.