As marine mammal scientist Naomi Rose, of the Animal Welfare Institute, told The Dodo last month, riding in a boat's wake is something of a hobby for dolphins and whales.

"This is a common behavior in certain places -- the whales I studied in British Columbia, Canada did this," Rose said. "It's called wake-riding and they are doing it for fun. They are literally surfing -- they can go very fast with very little effort when riding in the wake of a boat like this."