I have decided to take some time off for the winter. I bought a sailboat in Florida, actually in Maine but have her now in Florida. I’m slowly getting her ready for a cruise around the Florida Keys and Bahamas. I will be back on Orcas Island in February or March to get the boat’s ready again for the 2007 season.
Since my last post there isn’t any new items to post regarding the southern residents. Some of the pods have been sighted around the islands and down by Seattle recently, most likely feeding on a chum salmon run that spawns in the south sound rivers this time of year.
While in Florida I have seen numerous sightings of bottlenose dolphins. What a treat to be sailing along and have these eight to ten foot long dolphins swimming along side seemingly enjoying the experience as much as me. I am amazed that with all of the boat traffic around here, especially the small powerboats, the dolphins are so playful. The small powerboat traffic here makes a summer day in the San Juans look like a wilderness.
Outside the place we are staying while I get the boat ready are a small group of dolphins that come in the shallows near our place to feed every day. We are overlooking Boca Ceiga Bay on the Intracoastal Waterway just east of Madeira Beach. I can stand outside my kitchen here and look down from my balcony at these dolphins doing their business in a very disciplined and routine manner. They seem to be very preoccupied in the feeding to pay any attention to the dozens of fast noisy powerboats that launch from a state park launching ramp just across the bay from us. They are totally oblivious to the traffic and noise, and continue with their chores regardless of boats around or not. With all of the boats zooming in and out at full speed, jet skis shooting around (mostly on the weekends) and the operators not observing the dolphins while they operate their boats, this bay would make a Pacific Northwest environmentalist scream. But as far as I can observe the dolphins seem quite used to the weekend madness while they live their lives in three and four feet of water, which is the depth of this bay. There appears to be four adults and one sub adult dolphin here.
I’ll be heading south from St Petersburg soon. I’m looking forward to seeing new sights and encountering more marine mammals that I don’t see at home. By the way, the bird life here is prolific. There are lots of ospreys, brown pelicans, ibis, and gulls. I’ve seen a couple of bald eagles and have been hearing a peregrine falcon nesting on a high rise near the harbor in downtown St Petersburg.
If anyone reading this has more information on these resident dolphins of Boca Ceiga Bay can you email me. I am very curious to know if there is any current research going on.
Have a happy holiday season. The following is a Christmas song sent to me by my friend David in Costa Rica. Hope you enjoy it. http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf
Tom Averna