Virtually Swim with the Dolphins in “The Blue” (VIDEO)

While using an underwater GoPro camera rig to make a documentary about tuna fishing, Mark Peters unexpectedly captured this spectacular footage of a pod of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. The video – shot off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, last week – is so crisp and clear, and the animals so close to the camera and shown in such detail, there was instant speculation that CG effects must have been used. (Peters swears the footage is authentic.) WARNING: The opening sequence does involve some semi-graphic footage of tuna being caught and killed.

After only 4 days on Vimeo, “The Blue” has received nearly 500,000 views (nearly 50,000 from Facebook alone) and 1500 likes and has been shared on numerous blogs, including Gizmodo and io9.