swimming with dolphin (actually porpise, but who's counting?)

[ishmael]

I want to. Stories?

[Donn]

On the panhandle coast of Florida...I saw a pod about 100 yards away, and lured one in to within 10 feet of me by wading out to about 5' of water and banging a shell against a tire iron under water. He even went back to the pod and brought a female back to see me (come and see this crazy hairy human over here). Went on for a good half hour. Curious critters they are.

[Meerkat]

Looking for a porpoise in life Ish? ;)

[ 04-04-2003, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Shang]

Early one morning, haunch-deep in quiet water off Clearwater Beach, a porpoise surfaced beside me, looked deep in my eyes, and said, "come with me..."

Makes you believe in Silkies...

[ 04-04-2003, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: Shang ]

[Rocky]

How about swimming with seals in Saco Bay? That's one of the things I got this boat for.

[Ian McColgin]

They still came down Long Island Sound when I was a kid and, while they liked to play in the bow waves of motor boats, they would also come and inspect our old knocabout when we were becalmed. My mother took it as a matter of course that we'd swim with them so there we'd be, Mom with her (then) three kids cavorting in the water. Since I was the oldest, I'd get regular tether duty, traded with Mom, as the one with a line to the boat just in case a little breeze came up.

In college, I wrangled a job swimming with them at the NYC Aquarium for one of the researchers. Dolphins have ultrasound powers that give a whole new meaning to interspecies eroticism.

About a dozen years ago I was bringing a boat back from West Palm. The engin had packed in early and we were wondering where to sail in. Eventually decided on Cape Fear as a group of dolphins appeared on our starboard bow and seemed to be telling us to go there, rathe than Charlston.

About 36 hours later we failed to get in the cape Fear River as the wind died and the ebb tide and river current swept us back out. We anchored in the roads west of the channel and awaited the flood. I went for an early moring swim and what we believe to be the same school of dolphins came by. One of the juveniles had very distinctive markings. He was the one that gave me a nice long ride. At one point we were about 1/4 mile from the boat and I was beginning to worry, when he thoughtfully took me back.

I'm not at all in favor of 'pet' dolphins in captivity, but if you have a chance to swim with healthy free dolphins do so - it's great. Like transcendentally incredible.

[John of Phoenix]

I was snorkeling at a jetty off Ft. Walton Beach when I heard a pod chattering nearby. They were feeding on the spill over of the nets of a boat fishing for baitfish about a hundred yards away. I swam in their direction and, before I knew it, I was surrounded by the pod as they flashed past. I don’t know why, but I started making porpoise “noises” in my snorkel. It must have sounded pretty strange because many of them would look at me as they raced by chasing their lunch. Suddenly a youngster, maybe four feet long, came from behind and below, brushed my leg, and turned to face me. Not more than two feet separated our noses. I was amazed! His mother came next with a more forceful brush on my leg, she turned and hovered a few feet behind her baby and watched me intently. What have I gotten myself into? I did my noise again. The little one cocked his head like a puppy and sent me squeak and a couple of clicks. I did my best to squeak and click back, but with the snorkel in my mouth, it was tricky. What ever I said must have been pretty funny, because he bobbed his head and squeaked wildly. The next instant he was gone. Flash. Vanished. His mother stared at me for a moment longer then, with the slightest flick of her tail, she too disappeared.

I’ve always imagined that he said something like, “You’re the strangest looking creature I’ve ever seen, I can’t understand ANYTHING you’re saying and my mom says you dress funny. But there’s plenty of food for everyone, come on, dig in!”

I hope your experience is half a good as mine was.

[John B]

I windsurfed with a big old sea going beast for about half an hour a few years ago. The board was 11 ft long and she was somewhere in the 9 to 10ft mark... jumping out of the water, in and under the board. That was an adrenalin day.She became famous around there after that by calling at the Port on a regular basis so her size and gender got confirmed.
Probably superceded by the day we came across an Orca pod in the boat though. Man ... a 20 ft+ Male . that is one big animal. when he came up a few feet off the counter when we were looking forward for him.......... good thing the heart is still good, that's all I can say. Swim with him? no way mate.Not a chance.

[seafox61]

The was a book a read a decade or more ago called "King of the sea" about a research project where a man joins and lives with dolphens in the open sea I hated the ending but it was a incredable read
jeffery

[htom]

Got to spend some time in a pool with some of them and one of Dr. Lily's researchers many years ago (I was dating her, not them!)

Fascinating creatures. They play practical jokes on folk -- both us and them. I suspect that they're nearly as smart as we are, just handicapped because they don't have hands.