Dolphin Diary 101212

101212 L123--011DCA101212-1835-090DCA101212-1835-089DCA101212 L123--020DCA101212-1851-091DCA101212 zambi with dollies
101212 L123--024DCA101212 L123--023DCA101212 L123--022DCA101212 L123--021DCA101212 L123--019DCA101212 L123--018DCA
101212 L123--017DCA101212 L123--016DCA101212 L123--015DCA101212 L123--014DCA101212 L123--013DCA101212 L123--027DCA
101212 L123--026DCA101212 L123--025DCA101212-1905-104DCA101212-1904-103DCA101212-1902-102DCA101212-1901-101DCA

Dolphin Diary 101212, a set on Flickr.

A day of interesting dolphin delights!
This mornings first dolphin session found us locating Gulliver and Rocha aka Thai foraging just before Madadajine Point. At first the two young ladies spent much time below, tail out dives and extended dive times could only mean bottom grubbing! Some 10 minutes later the two of them picked up some garfish in the area and off they went inshore on the hunt, belly up swimming foraging perused as two sparkling white bellies coupled be seem snaking just below the water surface.
I slipped hoping to get some of the action on camera, only to find myself in the way as their fish tried to find solstice close to my head! Needless to say I had disturbed their breakfast!

Our second session found Gilly and Gandolf in the company of a Smiley, Tatti, A.01bdt and some males who were accompanying them while they were cruising up the coastline towards Ponta point. As the passed over reef they started spending more time below, surfacing quickly to breathe before heading back down. Slipping in we were greeted by murkey water and what looked to be like a school of queen fish below, a fast approach, increased whistling and some serious posturing indicated increased excitement and shortly afterwards my eye caught the movement of a shark down below, while the guests were enjoying watching the dolphins, I together with one of the dads (human:-)kept an eye on the jonny. At one point a group of 8 dolphins could be seen just above the reef chasing the shark who looked to be after little Gandolf! Gilly and Gandolf approached us onlookers once again for a bout of interaction and as they left I noticed the pesky jonny had been trailing them from behind. The two off and them sped off only to find the shark approach us once again disappearing soon after he realized we were not food!

By 11:30 the Gilly and Gandolf were re-sighted, this time in the company of a large resting pod who were milling and resting in Ponta Bay. We spent 15 minutes in their company while dolphin watchers observed their clam and serene behaviour. An energy filled young female however kept retuning to get in a couple of circle swims. The pod had increased to around 30 individuals, was mixed sexed and included two of our humpback dolphins, the younger of which was getting chased by some young bottlenose. Sadly one of the calves who was tucked below mom had a damaged right pectoral with fishing gut still trailing and looked not to be in good health.

Comments

Popular Posts