DOLPHINS!!!!

Dolphins are at once ephemeral and loyal, elusive yet constant. They are quicksilver and full of mirth. They are childlike yet knowing. From the moment we had our first dolphin sighting at the mouth of Chesapeake bay in Norfolk, VA, they have been delighting us and comforting us at just the right times.

 While waiting twenty minutes for a bridge in Beaufort, N.C. a pod of dolphins dazzled us with perfectly synchronized and graceful leaps into the air and playful frolicking around the boat. They would swirl their glistening bodies around so that their white bellies were exposed. How we wanted to reach out and pet them! Jeff gleefully likened them to puppy dogs. 

During our Beaufort, N.C. to Charleston, S.C. Atlantic Ocean jump, I was drunkenly ragged with exhaustion after a long stint at the wheel in high wind and wave conditions. Suddenly Jeff called out DOLPHINS!!!!!  And there they were, swimming alongside the boat and darting exhuberantly back and forth under the bow. They were so adorably joyful in their play with "Grace" that they totally revived my spirits. How I wanted to jump in and kiss them.

While relaxing after dark in a quiet anchorage in Togoodo, SC, we knew when they were approaching as we would hear cute little splashing and snorting sounds. The next morning as I was washing dishes in the galley, I heard a startled gasp from above. Apparently, out of nowhere, a dolphin catapulted like a rocket out of the water right beside Jeff while he was busy working in the cockpit. Are they toying with us?...  What’s interesting is that as they leave us, one dolphin always jumps up close to the boat as if to bid us adieu.

Anyway, I’ve tried to take a zillion photos and videos of these magically enticing creatures to no avail. I end up getting a tip of a fin, part of the boat or mostly just water. Finally on our most recent Atlantic jump from Hilton Head Island, S.C. to Jacksonville, Fl, our intrepid sailor Jeff, climbed out onto the bow and captured a moment with our friends.

Do they sense we humans are kindred spirits, or do they just really really like boats?...

A wondrous journey to all,

Pam