Once in a while Olin joins a passing dolphin pod for a few days, but she always returns to the waters off Nuweiba. During a visit with other dolphins in 1997, Olin became pregnant. A year later she gave birth to a male calf. Now Mekiten plays with mother and baby.

Says Goffman, “Human-dolphin friendships are rare, but this is obviously a friendship Olin wants, or she would leave.” So far Olin seems content to stay.