Dolphins are seen in a mating ritual in TO Four gray dolphins were seen swimming in the crystal clear waters of Praia Remanso dos Botos, in Itaguatins, northern region of the state. In the video, it is possible to see the animals interacting with each other in a courtship process for mating, which includes a "love dance" and biting. The photographer who captured the scene said it was rare to find the animals in a shallow area like the one recorded. "Every recording here is exciting, and recording them was wonderful, enchanting. I was with a colleague and he 'recording is good, it will fill the drone's memory' and I 'no boy, this is rare' and I continued recording", says Fabiano Vieira. 📱 Click here to follow the g1 TO channel on WhatsApp Fabiano is 36 years old and is from Itaguatins. He says he lost count of how many times he came across porpoises on the Tocantins River, in the Bico do Papagaio region. This latest encounter was recorded with a drone, on June 3, near a rock formation at the water's edge in the late afternoon, close to sunset. "They were always present. That place is theirs. The recording was clear because they were close and came out of the water playing with each other. It was really cool. They were close to the shore. It's rare for them to stay there", he says. READ MORE Streets and squares get special paint jobs for the World Cup in cities across TO; see images UFT publishes notice with 1,075 vacancies in undergraduate courses; see how to sign up Record of flashing lights in Serra do TO intrigues residents: 'Many questions', says programmer Dolphins are seen near the beach in Itaguatins, TO Disclosure/Fabiano Vieira Photography Cutting for mating The biologist and president of the Araguaia Institute, Silvana Campello, explains that the behavior is typical of "courtship for mating" to attract the female. The ritual may include dancing, vocalizations, displaying vibrant colors, building nests and offering food. Males can apply gentle bites or restraints by holding the female by the neck or flippers - as in the video - to encourage or appease resistance. "In this video there is a porpoise that uses its beak to attack another, it could be a mating gesture. Other porpoises tend to stay close to the couple when mating; this is normal", he says. Biologist Beatriz Vasconcelos reports that the dolphins may be accustomed to the presence and movement of people, and therefore may have remained in a shallow area close to the shore of the beach. "They are very friendly and curious animals, so they do not represent fear and adapt well to humans, especially accompanying fishing boats", he states. The environmentalist from the Amazon Dolphin Preservation Association, Rosaldo Santos, adds that it is common, at this time of year, for animals to migrate for reproduction. "We have some males courting a female there. The dolphin from the Araguaia Tocantins basin usually lives in groups, and at this time of year the males migrate for reproduction, avoiding family crossing. A courtship scene", he explains. See more news from the region on g1 Tocantins.