When space meets sea, Crew-9 Dragon meets dolphins: Space photo of the day

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A pod of bottlenose dolphins seemingly took interest in the capsule that dropped out of the sky, circling and surfacing as SpaceX team members worked to recover their spacecraft.

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A pod of bottlenose dolphins circled and surfaced nearby SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom after it splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Image credit: NASA/Keegan Barber)

As it turns out, more than humans were interested in the return of SpaceX's Crew-9 astronauts after an extended mission on board the International Space Station. An unexpected welcome committee arrived soon after the Crew Dragon "Freedom" splashed down on Tuesday, March 18.

What is it?

SpaceX support team members work around and on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft "Freedom" shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.

The recovery team worked to safe the capsule before it a crane was used to hoist the Dragon — still with its crew inside — on board the ship.

Why is it amazing?

While it is not particularly unusual for dolphins to swing alongside or play near boats, their appearance near the newly-landed spacecraft made for a rare sight. The marine mammals seemed to curious as to what this strange object was that fell out of the sky.

The scene takes on added meaning knowing that at least one of the crew members aboard the Dragon has a particular affinity for the sea. Williams, had originally been expected to touch down with Wilmore in New Mexico aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft — a capsule Williams named "Calypso" after oceanographer Jacques Cousteau's research ship. Problems discovered during their trip to the space station resulted in Williams and Wilmore being reassigned to a water landing aboard Dragon.

"I love what the ocean means to this planet, we would not be this planet without the ocean. There is so much to discover in the ocean and there is so much to discover in space," Williams said in 2019.

Where can I see more?

You can watch a video of the pod of dolphins that came out to see the landing and read more about the crew's return to Earth and splashdown.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Robert Z. Pearlman
Robert Z. Pearlman
collectSPACE.com Editor, Space.com Contributor

Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, a daily news publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018.In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History. In 2023, the National Space Club Florida Committee recognized Pearlman with the Kolcum News and Communications Award for excellence in telling the space story along the Space Coast and throughout the world.

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