Around what will become the Gold Coast of Queensland, Kombumerri (salt water people) fishermen have a special relationship with Gwondo (dolphins), who help them hunt.
Gwondo is one of the chiefs of Kombumerri Dreaming.
He is a Dreaming hero — kind and generous and like a grandfather to everyone.
Gwondo is a clever man, famous for training dogs.
He taught dogs to follow him, camp with him, keep him warm at night and most importantly to round up guruhman (kangaroo) and wallaby.
Gwondo is recognised by his long white mane of hair and he provides food that his dogs helped to hunt.
After Gwondo leaves, he recedes into the Dreamtime and a special relationship between Kombumerri fishermen and dolphins is formed.
One day, while the jarjums (children) play on the beach, they look out and recognise Gwondo in the water from a distance.
They yell “guray guray,” (we saw we saw)”.
It was a dolphin.
But it was different to other dolphins, because it had a long white fin like the dorsal fin on an orca whale.
The Kombumerri people know Gwondo has returned as a dolphin.
A skilled man and trainer of dogs in the Dreamtime, Gwondo was just as skillful and helpful on land.
He trains all the dolphins to round up all the fish, like tailor and mullet, towards the shore so Kombumerri fishermen can wade out into the water ready to spear them and catch them in their tow row nets.
The men develop a mutual bond with dolphins.
When the men smack the water, delivering a cue to the dolphins, they know it’s time to help herd fish.
In the Dreamtime and as a dolphin, Gwondo is generous and kind and helps all the men, women and children to thrive.