Dolphins Greet Returning Astronauts After SpaceX Crew's Long-Awaited Splashdown

NASA astronauts received a surprise welcoming committee shortly after the SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday as a pod of dolphins circled the Freedom as it bobbed up and down in the ocean.

With astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams making their long-awaited return from their unplanned nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station, viewers around the world tuned in to watch the historic moment -- including the aquatic mammals.

They curiously swam circles around the capsule as the first recovery boat arrived on the scene.

"Crew-9 had some surprise visitors after splashing down this afternoon," NASA posted on X.

The capsule included fellow American Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov as their 17-hour-journey from the ISS ended with a safe landing in the Gulf just off the coast of Florida's Big Bend section.

The capsule landed at 5:57 p.m. ET, ending Wilmore and Williams' overdue stay in space. They emerged from the capsule all smiles from their 286-day ordeal before going through medical checks and a debriefing.