Dolphins Concerned Over Floating Debris in the Ocean Seek Diver’s Help - Making Sure It’s Cleaned Up

For Kayleigh Nicole Grant (@mermaid.kayleigh), the ocean is home. She has ventured into deep waters and experienced the otherworldly life prowling the dark depths. She glides with dolphins, helps lonely baby octopuses, and plays with star-studded whale sharks. Over the years, her camera has spotted fascinating creatures doing bizarre stunts. During one such dive, Grant had a heartbreaking encounter with dolphins that reshaped not only her perspective but also her goals for life. In a TikTok video, the diver shared how a dolphin was trying to communicate a message to her. “Get out your trash,” was the message in a gist.

“I felt like these dolphins were trying to tell me something, and you’re not going to believe what it was,” said Grant in the footage of her swimming along with a school of three dolphins. The dolphins came up to her and one was “super chatty.” So she just listened and watched where they swam. “I noticed that they started swimming towards something floating on the surface,” the diver described, saying that she then followed the dolphins to investigate what they were headed to.

As Grant followed the mammals, she realized that they were trying to bring her attention to something that “looked like marine debris,” mainly old ropes and nets. Before she could do anything, the commotion in the water caught the attention of a white-tipped shark. As the shark approached her, she maintained her calm and intelligently employed her camera and fins to block the predator.

When the shark passed, Grant grabbed the marine debris and headed toward her boat. The dolphins followed her, probably to make sure that she didn’t spill them again in their divine water. “I wanted to show the dolphins that I was cleaning it up, and that we are not all bad,” said the diver. “I can only imagine what types of impacts these animals run into while living in the ocean, but I hope that they know the majority of us really care about them.” After the debris was cleaned up, Grant waved goodbye to the dolphin. The squirmy mammal buzzed right past her, “maybe saying thank you.”

This particular instance had a happy ending, but sadly, the issue about marine trash doesn’t end here. “Sadly, I hardly go into the ocean without some trace of mankind,” Grant said. However, she felt glad that she was able to spot these debris and clean them up. “Marine debris can get the attention & interest of wildlife & cause damage to these animals. Marine debris, especially nets or ropes, can easily cause entanglements. Wildlife may sometimes even ingest trash found in the ocean causing blockages and leading to death,” she explained in the video caption.

“It’s so sad that even animals are aware of contamination impact,” said @llolocuco in a comment. @_mindy_lee_ called out to people who trash these waters, “Imagine people walking in our homes and throwing trash everywhere. We'd be very upset! (to put it lightly) We're destroying their home and they can't do anything about it.” While some people called this encounter “magical,” others brought attention to the fact that dolphins are such intelligent ocean creatures. Indeed they are, and they know how to keep their home clean, perhaps even better than human beings.

You can follow Kayleigh Nicole Grant (@mermaid.kayleigh) on TikTok to enjoy more videos of her underwater adventures!