Dolphins moving up north

This video looks like the Super8 films my father did in the 70th. But this was actually filmed yesterday. I guess my lense was smudgy. It still gives a nice idea of how relaxed these creates travel.

Dolphin and their daily itinerary

Charlotte takes a dip

Dolphins have their habits too. Just as we wake up in the morning, have a pee, take breakfast and brush our teeths, dolphins travel the same itinerary at the approximate same hour every day. For a spectator standing in our bay this means the pod usually appears either at around 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. from the north moving south (+ or - 1 h).

We have been trying to figure out what stretch of coast they cover. We know for a fact that the group has not been observed at hotels up north or further south. Either people did not watch carefully or the dolphins really aren´t there. 

We have observed the pod turn into the open or arrive from the open waters repeatedly. Adults dolphins, often groups of strong males, hunt far away from the coast. The female dolphins with their calves prefer to stay close to the coast where it is safer. Sharks, one of the rare enemies of dolphins, need deeper water. There is also less risk of getting caught up in the fishing net of a trawler.

In irregular intervals this habit changes. 

One of these occasions is the yearly dolphins gathering. Other dolphin pods meet up with our local group. At one point last year there must have been 60 or 70 dolphins in our bay. It is the mating occasion. Several male dolphins fight over single females, and really pester them. They jump, race and show off. They join together to create mega pods.

At these occasions they also hunt together, creating circles or cylinders of dozens of dolphins that trap swarms of fish. We observed on circle with a diameter of ca 50m just off our bay. You could see one dolphin after another dive down to take his share.

When different pods meet they usually move together and leave their own territory for a day or more.

After the big dolphin encounter last year our pods weren´t seen for a week.

Yesterday´s visit of external dolphins broke the habit of our local pod again. They had moved way down the coast. So instead of arriving from the north as usual, today at around 11 a.m. our pod came from the south. It was one group of approximately 12 dolphins. The direction of the wind had changed so this time it pushed us with the pod up north. Charlotte and I had a hard time rowing back.

The same pod returned at around 2 p.m. to move south. They must have hit their turning point up the next bay. Looking at the map the dolphins cover a stretch of coast that does not extend 30 km.

Against the wind...

Here we go again, the revolution is pretty much over, the security situation is safe enough for our institutions to allow us back. We find a changed Egypt, full of hope and new ideals, a new found equality for the poorer citizens and a lot more chaos on the roads as the police has been badly smashed.

It´s our first weekend by the sea again. It´s a windy day with a dusty sky. I´m alone on the beach behind my wind shelter, not one soul on this kilometer of white beach. Its comfortably warm in my wetsuit and a jacket. And there they come. I hop onto the kayak and follow them. There are two groups. I row, strong backwind helps me, pushes me, I make hardly any effort. We move down the coast, the pods get used to me and swim alongside my kayak. They swim right below me, tilting to their side to have a better peek of who is above. And then I see a third pod coming right behind.

And further it goes, far down the coast, to areas I have never been to before. The wind pushes me and I move with very little effort. Too bad I did not bring my mask nor my fins so there are no pictures of this trip.

After 5km I hold out,  I still have to row back. So it´s Farewell, dolphins. I turn around and start paddling. Three dolphins leave the pods and swim back towards me. And continue, and there they join up with a fourth group. Amazing, there are more than 40 dolphins here today...

I row and row, the waves move quickly forward below the kayak, my face against the wind. And I row and row, against the wind. And then I look at the pier on my left. And it is still there. I haven´t moved at all !

Maybe it wasn´t such a great  idea to come all this way after all.  I´m far away, no telephone, no money. At least the wind doesn´t blow me out into the sea, just down the coast.

Well, no time to whine, on my knees and now it is paddling like Pocahontas. Against the waves and the wind, with Bob Seeger´s song in my head... With quick and strong strokes and clenched teeth.

Against the wind,

I´m still rowing against the wind

So much older now but still rowing

Against the wind

Hours later I arrive at the beach. Extremely exhausted but happy.

Here is the song