Dolphin and young boy playing catch caught on video

We’re not sure who initiated this game of catch, but we’re just glad it happened.

A little blond boy and his dolphin friend recently had an adorable time passing a ball back and forth to each other at the Dolphinarium Koktebel in Crimea.

Even when the youngster’s aim was off — it quickly became clear that the dolphin had better tossing skills than the toddler — the dolphin slid back into the water to retrieve the runaway ball and kept the game going.

Judging by the joyful squeals from both playful mammals, it’s safe to say that a good time was had by all.

Anton Karpinski captured the game of catch on camera, then posted it on Facebook where it quickly went viral.

“There is plenty of controversy about the practice of keeping ‘captive’ dolphins for entertainment purposes, but in many cases, the entertainment comes second to important research and study of these wonderful marine mammals, and acts as an educational tool and as a means to raise money for the facility and its research, when public funds are not as readily available for these programs,” wrote  the Weather Network's Scott Sutherland.

"According to their website, the Dolphinarium Koktbebel works not only to educate the public about dolphins, but they also participate in the development of monitoring networks, and in the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured dolphins.”

Last fall, Cieran Kelso, an 8-year-old British boy who lost both his legs to meningitis when he was a baby, befriended a dolphin named Winter with a prosthetic tale.

"It was greater than great," Cieran said of his swim with Winter.

"The feeling was great to be swimming, just emotional to be swimming with a dolphin," said Cieran. “I love dolphins, but the best dolphin I’ve ever loved is Winter.”

Watch Cieran and Winter swim together below.