Weird Wednesday – Joker the dolphin

July 30, 2008 - 11:15 AM by Nicky

There’s a dog who lives in Eilat called Joker. Everyone there knows him. He’s a hairy mutt. Cute, but pretty smelly to be honest, and he’s not that keen on human company. But there’s one thing very special about Joker – he’s adopted a pod of dolphins.

In fact, he probably thinks he is a dolphin.

joker1.jpg

Five years ago Joker found his way to Dolphin Reef, a beautiful beach on the south side of Eilat where people swim and dive with dolphins. He trotted down to the wooden piers that jut out into the sea, and gazed at the dolphins swimming below him. It was love at first sight.

The staff chased him off. But the next day Joker was back, and the day after that, each time spending hours staring at the dolphins as they swam by. One day he summoned up his courage and leapt in.

The dolphins, being curious creatures, were fascinated by their new four-legged companion, and after a few weeks of daily swims began to accept him as one of their own.

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Since then, Joker makes the trip to the Dolphin Reef, a few kilometers away from his home, every single day. At first he used to walk the distance. In recent years he’s started hitchhiking.

He stands by the road in Eilat until someone recognizes him and picks him up and drops him at the beach. On the way back, he begs another lift from the staff, following them from the reef and then leaping in as they open the car doors.

“I have a blanket in my car specially for him,” admits Nir Avni, the founder and manager of the beach. “I can’t refuse him.”

One day he took a trip with the wrong person, however, and ended up 100 kilometers away at a kindergarten in Kibbutz Yotvata. Avni put an advert in a national paper for a missing dog, and finally after several weeks absence Joker was reunited with his dolphins once more.

Joker5.jpg

You can see Joker whenever you visit Dolphin Reef. He pads about the place as if he were the owner, sitting on the pier for long hot hours in the baking Eilat heat gazing at his friends in the clear blue water below. When the mood takes him, he dives in, and starts to play with his dolphin family.

If you see him, you can try to call him over. But he’ll probably ignore you, unless you’re offering him a lift. He’s only really got eyes for his dolphins.

Tags: , , , , , • Category: General, Life, Pop Culture 

Comments

18 Comments on Weird Wednesday – Joker the dolphin

  1. Saran Kirschbaum on Mon, Aug 4th 2008 8:41 PM

    2. Thank you for making our day, a story that warms our hearts and minds.

  2. Nicky on Tue, Aug 5th 2008 12:12 PM

    3. Glad you liked it. I first came across Joker two years ago and see him every time I visit the reef.
    I believe someone is currently writing a children’s book about him.

  3. Anja on Tue, Aug 5th 2008 3:17 PM

    4. What an absolutely heart warming story Nicky! It brought tears in my eyes. There is so much animal cruelty on this world, every bit of good news is more than welcome!! I hope Joker will trot down the pier for many, many years to come. He looks lovely, he deserves a good life.
    Thank you for sharing. Warmest wishes from the Netherlands!!

  4. Mary E. Anderson on Tue, Aug 5th 2008 7:12 PM

    5. A beautiful story for a world that needs it.

  5. Marilyn Lockfeld on Wed, Aug 6th 2008 12:56 AM

    6. One can tell Joker is a very special dog, No doubt about it!. I’ve fallen in love with Joker & I also love dolpins. It’s a wonderful playful combination. I would love to be able to travel to see Joker. and swim with the group. It would be a wonderful sight to see.
    Thank you for introducing Joker to me via e-mail.

  6. Michaela Goldhorn on Wed, Aug 6th 2008 2:09 AM

    7. THANK YOU for this lovely story in this bad world… I wish Joker and his dolphins all the best!!!
    Best regards from Salzgitter-Germany

  7. Amiram on Wed, Aug 6th 2008 9:29 PM

    8. A moving touching story for dog lovers, dolphin lovers and all animal lovers,
    we humans are still to learn much from them….

  8. SUSAN MANNS on Thu, Aug 7th 2008 3:24 AM

    9. Amazing animals never cease to amaze me especially dogs our best companions. To bad that in some countries they are skinning them alive why can’t they understand them like this. Dolphins well!!! they are simply awesome

  9. Phyllis Botti on Thu, Aug 7th 2008 4:17 AM

    10. Dogs and Dolphins never cease to amaze me.

  10. Terri on Thu, Aug 7th 2008 4:23 AM

    11. I’m checking into flights to Eilat ! A wonderful story (there is a movie here for Disney! ) Someone certainly must own Joker the dog. Who feeds him?

    Thank you for this wonderful heart-warming story of inter-species communication and obvious love.

    Terri
    Australia

  11. Irene on Thu, Aug 7th 2008 10:28 AM

    12. God bless the dolphins and God bless Joker! This is the best story I’ve read in a long long time. Maybe Joker was a dolphin w/this pod(?) in a previous life? It’s nice to read some GOOD news for a change!

  12. Nicky on Thu, Aug 7th 2008 11:37 AM

    13. I believe that Joker doesn’t actually have an owner nowadays. The staff at the beach feed him all his meals, and give him his innoculations – so it’s safe for him to swim with the dolphins.

    When he’s not at the reef, no-one really knows what he does with himself.

    Avni brought him to live in his house for awhile, but Joker just wasn’t interested. He prefered to do his own thing. He’s clearly a very intelligent and independent dog.

  13. BARBARA QUITTENBAUM on Thu, Aug 7th 2008 1:45 PM

    14. many thanks for your kind offer…looking forward to recieve your mail….kind regards …barbara from australia

  14. Denise Tankha on Thu, Aug 7th 2008 3:07 PM

    15. What a lovely story! A question. Where did Joker come from and its impossible to believe that so intelligent a dog, could not have an owner. His habits are too human-like, I mean, hitch-hiking! Of all the cute things!
    Hopefully the humans will leave him to enjoy his new found happiness aand now go tramping all over his domain.

  15. Vasumathi Krishnasami on Fri, Aug 8th 2008 8:06 AM

    16. This is truly a wonderful story to light up many a dark place in our lives! It ought to be sent to all the high-ranking officials of China–especially now. My sincere thanks to you for sending me this gem.

  16. Meera on Fri, Aug 8th 2008 8:17 AM

    17. Animals demonstrate this to us, over and over again, but the human species isn’t learning. Love is the only thing that works. We could all live in harmony — species, nations, races — if only we learned tolerance and understanding.

  17. Cheryle on Mon, Sep 8th 2008 1:03 AM

    18. Just a note from the Deep South of the USA. I agree that this story shows that once again that the animals have it over us humans as far as knowing love is the only thing that counts in this life. By choice I live my life with a puppy, a cat and an Amazon parrot and very happily so. Thanks for sharing this beautiful story about Joker the dog and his dolphins !!!!!! It’s a very heart warming story for sure that has made my day !!!

  18. Nerys on Mon, Nov 3rd 2008 11:28 AM

    19. Oh this is a wonderful story! We are heading down there in December and will keep our eye out for this incredible pooch! Thank you for sharing this story.
    Lit up my day. Smiles Nerys :)

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