The call of a conch shell roused the dolphin hunters from their beds. Under moonlight, the six men shuffled to the village church.

       There a priest led them in a whispered prayer, his voice barely audible over the sound of crashing waves; the tide was high that day. Saltwater pooled in parts of the village, which is on Fanalei Island, an ever-shrinking speck of land that is part of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

       They paddled out in wooden canoes before first light, cutting through the darkness until they were miles away from shore. After hours of scanning the horizon, one of the hunters, Lesley Fugui, saw a fin slice the glassy water. He raised a 10-foot-long bamboo pole with a piece of cloth tied to the end, alerting the others of his discovery. Then he made a phone call to his wife. He had found dolphins. The hunt would begin.

       Image

       Coral and sand largely make up the inhabited part of Fanalei Island, which is rapidly shrinking as sea levels rise.

       Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

       Image

       Dolphin hunters gather before dawn outside a small church on Fanalei, where a priest typically leads them in a prayer for their safety ahead of their excursion.

       Video

       The hunters setting out on a canoe. If a pod of dolphins is discovered, they will raise a 10-foot-long bamboo pole with a piece of cloth tied to the end to alert the others of their discovery.CreditCredit...

       Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.