Camera crews have captured the first ever footage of the rarest species of dolphins, the Australian snubfin. The snubfins are a species that has only been known to scientists for three years. A group of researchers looking to the creatures off the Kimberley Coast in Western Australia stumbled upon dozens of dolphins on Sunday. The dolphins are also nicknamed "Snubbies" for their blunt dorsal fin and rounded snout.
According to the research team, the sighting is the best yet as the dolphins were playful and poked their heads above water, as opposed to other sightings, where they tended to stay underwater. The Australian snubfin dolphin was discovered in 2005. Scientists are hoping that DNA samples taken from the animals will confirm they are the newest species or sub-species of dolphin. The discovery of a new mammal is extremely rare. Until recently the snubfin dolphin was thought to be an Irrawaddy dolphin.