Every single day off the cold Irish coast, an island dog swims out into the harbor for a remarkable playdate with a wild bottlenose dolphin.
This documented ritual captured international attention on BBC and National Geographic showing an unbelievable daily routine that bound two different creatures together.
The video starts with a brown and white Labrador retriever standing right on the edge of a concrete ledge looking out over the harbor water. It’s clear that he is expecting someone he loves most.
All of a sudden a dark dorsal fin pops up out in the bay. The dog gives a quick bark then leaps straight into the ocean.
He swims furiously out toward the middle of the harbor with his head held high above the waves. The dolphin turns and glides right toward him.
When they meet up near some fishing boats the dolphin gently circles around her four-legged friend popping up right next to him. They keep paddling along side by side like old pals playing a game of tag.
This sweet daily ritual happened on Tory Island off the coast of County Donegal in Ireland. Back in April 2006 a lone female bottlenose dolphin arrived in the island harbor. Local residents named her Duggie. Experts believed she stayed behind in the sheltered harbor after losing her mate nearby.
A local resident named Pat Doohan owned the Labrador named Ben who loved swimming. One morning Ben went down to the pier for a dip and swam out toward the new ocean visitor. Duggie did not swim away at all. Instead she swam around him softly blowing bubble clouds in the water. That simple meeting started a daily routine that lasted for years.
Every single morning Ben walked down the harbor steps and jumped into the cold waves. Duggie was always waiting for him right on schedule. They would spend two or three hours paddling together and diving around the ferry dock while amazed tourists watched from shore.
Whenever Ben got tired from paddling so long Duggie would gently guide him back toward the shore. Even when other dolphin pods passed by the island Duggie always chose to stay in the harbor with her favorite swimming partner.
God knows when our hearts hurt, and He knows how much we can handle on our own. So He places the right companion in our lives to make us feel loved and remind us that we are not alone.
Whether it’s a human or an animal, God cares for all His creations. When Duggie the dolphin was grieving and adrift alone in the deep harbor waters, God sent an unusual companion to bring her joy.
WATCH: Dog Swims Out Every Day to Meet His Dolphin Friend in the Ocean
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