Like a cat peering into a goldfish bowl, Akaasha the tiger cub is transfixed by a dolphin staring back at her. Curiosity got the better of both Akaasha and Mavrick, a 14-month-old dolphin who’s probably more used to a crowd of human faces gazing into his glass tank at a Californian theme park.

Staff were taking six-month-old Akaasha on her daily walk around the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom when she saw Mavrick, a 14-month-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.

The pair examined each other from all angles possible – then the dolphin blew an approving bout of bubbles towards the tiger. Staff were taking Akaasha, who is a six-month-old female tiger cub, on her daily walk around the theme park when she noticed Mavrick, who is a 14-month-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin yesterday.

Mavrick cocked his head as Akaasha strained to get closer to the glass, perhaps bewildered as to why she could not catch the scent of this strange new creature grinning at her from another world. It may be the start of a beautiful friendship.