Several bottlenose pods were spotted swimming in the Otago Harbour.
The dolphins swam in a loop from Maia, up the harbour and back.
The waterborne commotion caused traffic trouble along the West Harbour as morning commuters drove to and from lookout points to catch a glimpse.
The dolphins looked as though they were ‘‘dancing’’ as they leaped in the air, a witness said.
University of Otago zoology professor Liz Slooten saw at least eight of the dolphins as she walked her dog.
‘‘They were in between dives. They’d dive down, come back up and be quite active at the surface.’’
It was common between feeding dives for the animals to ‘‘socialise’’, she said.
This included jumping around, making body contact, swimming upside down or on their sides and touching each other with their flippers.
