NASA Astronauts Receive an Extraordinary Ocean Welcome as Dolphins Surround SpaceX Capsule After Splashdown!
After spending nine months in space, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams made their long-awaited return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18. But as their SpaceX Dragon capsule splashed down off the Florida coast, they were met with an unexpected yet stunning sight—a pod of dolphins circling their spacecraft.
In breathtaking drone footage released by NASA, the dolphins can be seen gracefully swimming around the floating capsule, creating a surreal welcome-home moment for the astronauts. Wilmore and Williams were joined on the journey back by fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
The incredible scene was also captured in a video shared by CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez on X, showing the dolphins surrounding the capsule as a rescue crew made its way toward the spacecraft to assist the returning astronauts.
Wilmore and Williams, who previously gained attention after being stranded in space, safely returned to Earth following a successful splashdown. Their SpaceX Crew-9 capsule undocked from the International Space Station at 1:05 a.m. ET and touched down in the ocean at approximately 6:00 p.m. local time.
The unplanned welcome crew!
— NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) March 18, 2025
Crew-9 had some surprise visitors after splashing down this afternoon.🐬 pic.twitter.com/yuOxtTsSLV
NASA and SpaceX officially announced the astronauts’ safe return on X. “Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!” SpaceX posted.
Accompanying the message was a video capturing the dramatic moment the capsule made contact with the ocean. With four white and orange parachutes fully deployed, the spacecraft descended smoothly before landing upright in the water. As the capsule splashed down, an announcer declared, “And splashdown! Crew-9, back on Earth,” sparking cheers and applause from the mission control team.
Wilmore and Williams first arrived at the International Space Station in June 2024. Initially, their mission was planned to last no more than 10 days, but an unexpected delay extended their stay after their spacecraft experienced mechanical issues. As a result, the capsule was sent back to Earth without them, leaving the astronauts temporarily stranded in space.
Their long-awaited return was finally set in motion on March 14, when a new crew arrived at the ISS to initiate their departure. This marked the beginning of Wilmore and Williams’ journey home as part of a collaborative mission between SpaceX and NASA. The arriving team included astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center shared photos on X showing Wilmore and Williams receiving a warm welcome from crew members after landing at Ellington Field in Houston on March 18, just hours after their splashdown.
