One dog named Zyzz shares a very special friendship with his dolphin buddies. One of the dolphins named Jojo regularly swims with Zyzz when he and his owner go boating. It’s such an amazing sight to see, and his dad makes sure to capture it all on camera! Since dolphins are such friendly, curious creatures, it’s no surprise that they get so close to Zyzz.
Zyzz lives with his loving owners, Mark and Megan, in the beautiful Turks & Caicos islands. The islands are located southeast of the Bahamas and just north of the Dominican Republic. These islands boast the third largest coral reef in the world and are home to abundant marine life. You’ll find everything from baby turtles to humpback whales to dolphins like Jojo swimming in the breathtaking turquoise waters.
Zyzz is a pretty lucky dog if you ask us. He lives in a tropical paradise, for one, and gets to explore it almost everyday. His dad Mark owns a company called Wake to Wake Watersports, so he’s out on the water often. He takes Zyzz along for the ride most of the time since they’re the best of buddies. One day while out on the boat, they both got the surprise of a lifetime.
“I think we just went out one day with Zyzz on the water just to kind of do a little promotional shoot. Zyzz was on the boat, we saw the dolphins,” Mark explained. “The dolphins tend to come to our boats anyway because they kick up quite a big wave for wakesurfing.”
“They kind of scout out our boat, they came right up and Zyzz saw this huge black object in the water. [He] just got really excited, jumped straight in, no self-preservation whatsoever, jumped straight in.”
What’s really special about Zyzz and the dolphins is that Mark didn’t teach him to jump in the water. He didn’t need any coaxing whatsoever; he just took the plunge all on his own.
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Zyzz and Jojo Have an Unusual, Yet Beautiful Relationship
Dogs are also curious animals, like dolphins, so Zyzz couldn’t resist getting a closer look. Now, Jojo and his family come out to play anytime Zyzz is around.
Mark says that Jojo actually seems more friendly with humans than he is with other dolphins! When he’s in the mood to play, he will swim near the boat and slap his tail on the water. That’s his way of initiating contact with his human and dog friends. Mark had known about Jojo for a while and played with him often. However, he’d never seen Jojo with Zyzz until that unusual day on the boat.
Mark explained that he and the crew (including Jojo) were floating in the boat when the dolphins surfaced. They came near the boat as if to say “hi” as they usually did. However, Zyzz went crazy with excitement and decided to dive right in the water! All he could see was a dark object under the surface, but that didn’t scare him. He must have sensed that the creatures were friendly and wanted to get a better view.
Once Zyzz jumped in, the dolphins immediately started playing with him. While Zyzz swam on the surface, the dolphins circled around underneath him. While the dog and his new friend played together, Mark and the crew watched in amazement. They didn’t even jump in with him because they were just in awe of the spectacle.
It’s almost as if Zyzz feeds off the dolphins’ energy and can sense when they’re nearby. Mark says he will even dip his head underwater sometimes to get a better look! It’s amazing to see two totally different animals interacting and enjoying each others’ company. They seem to get a kick out of swimming and playing together in the beautiful waters of Turks & Caicos.
Jojo will even splash Zyzz with his fin sometimes, in a playful way of course. Zyzz usually circles around above the dolphins, and they occasionally play chase together. Who would’ve thought that a dolphin and a dog could become best friends?! It’s a simple, yet beautiful reminder that we can all get along, despite our differences.
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More about Zyzz and his Owner Mark
“Zyzz is 8 now. He has been with me ever since I was at university. I’ve had dogs my whole entire life and I went to university, basically really, really missed having a dog greeting me everyday in the house,” Mark said. “So I ended up persuading my housemates at university when we were in second year to get a little puppy.”
“The way I persuaded them in the end was actually it would be a really good way of getting girls to come back to our place,” Mark said jokingly. “He is just a little bundle of joy, he’s always happy. He is always stoked on absolutely everything. Having to take him on the beach and everything is just wonderful.”
“Most of the time spent with him is just cuddling, beach walks, as much as possible getting out on the water. That’s his favorite pastime, is just boat days. Any time spent in the water is a good day for Zyzz. Meeting the dolphins is a bonus, but definitely any water time, boat activities are the best. He sits right on the bow of the boat as we’re driving, wind flapping in his ears, just absolutely loving life.”
Final Thoughts: Dolphins seem to make friends with everyone, including dogs!
Dolphins are naturally friendly, playful creatures, so it’s not too surprising that they seem to love dogs. Zyzz gets to enjoy the company of his best dolphin buddy Jojo whenever he’s out on the water. They play chase, circle around each other and just swim together in the crystal clear ocean. Zyzz’s owner Mark sometimes swims with them, but is just as content to watch their interaction from the boat.
It’s truly heartwarming to see such different creatures get along so well. There’s an important message in this story, that we’re all more alike than we think. We may look different on the surface, but love is what holds everything in nature together. And sometimes, it’s a dog and dolphin that will remind you of that simple truth.
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