You're going to be. Seeing dolphins riding the bow wave of a boat or ship is always a welcome sight and

one that leaves many of us gasping with glee and smiling ear to ear.

The last time I had an experience like this was in the Turinian Sea, just off the coast of the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily.

As the research boat I was on slipped through the water, we were suddenly joined by a group of bottlenose

dolphins. There must have been five or six of them all following us. It was as

exciting and thrilling as any roller coaster ride. For more than 15 minutes they entertained us all as they

sped through the waves racing back and forth alongside us. I've had a number of experiences like that in the past as I'm sure many of you have two

and it never gets any less exciting. But there's something else about these encounters with

dolphins,

especially if you're lucky enough to get into the water with them.

As they whistle and call to one another,

it really feels like they're trying not only to play, but communicate with you as well.

Now, our relationship with dolphins can be traced back over the millennia.

In Greek mythology they're often depicted as animals which come to our aid.

They were considered sacred to the gods, even recognized as gods themselves in some cases.

The Ganges River Dolphins in India, for example, are said to have heralded the descent of the

Hindu goddess Ganga from heaven,

whilst the Amazon River Dolphins were believed to be shape shifters.

Dolphins inspire all kinds of emotions,

and over the years there have been some remarkable

social encounters between certain species of dolphins and humans.

And now the way in which they communicate are inspiring new methods of

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