The finless dolphin

This is the finless dolphin, he looks quite fearsome but is actually a very nice fellow !

It´s saturday. No dolphins for most of the day. Alberto, my friend and neighbor, informs me that he saw a huge group of dolphins pass at 7 a.m. in the morning. To see them at that time you have to have small children who wake you up. He has three. That is too early for me, besides, we are further away from the sea.

But then, at around 2 p.m.,  Charlotte spots them and we go out. When we get there I go in first. The water is like milk today. Visibility = 0 ! The dolphins pass for moments infront of our eyes, become visible and then quickly disappear in this thick foggy water. We only know they are there behind us because of their sonar. One hear very distinct clicking sounds. Amazing, if you think, that they can switch from visual navigation to sonar.

It´s a short session and we row back to the beach.

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Later at around three another group passes. I take Valentina along. She is in her dress and won´t take a dip. So I go in. This is yesterday´s group. Here is the finless dolphin, we have been swimming together numerous times before, and boy, does he come close today! We are about 10 cm apart and swim along peacefully. I look at him and he gives me a wink. He looks at me with this warm affectionate look that is hard to describe. We know each other and this look says: Hello, friend !

I mean, look at this eye !

When dolphins look at you there is a real presence in this look. The adults have this relaxed look while the young ones have a frantic and exited one. And every dolphin eye is distinct and different. There is intelligence in that look, you can feel a personality.
We swim together over a long distance, side by side, the finless dolphin and me. He is so close, I wonder if I should touch him. The group is very tight, which is good, as visibility is still poor. We continue like this for about 10 minutes when suddenly I nearly hit a fin...
Some french family has caught up in their pedal boat and are now invading the water. The woman has moved herself right into my path and now the children jump in - plouff, plouff - the group panics and speeds away and are out of sight.

Too bad. Session over.

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It´s around 4 p.m. This time it is my neighbor Sam who spots them and alerts me. Nino joins me and we row out into the sea. The tide washes in and there is quite some waves.Soon we are there, the dolphins right beside the kayak. Nino has never seen dolphins so close. It is true, it is amazing every time !

 I go in. I know this group. There is the young crazy one, and then the big dolphin with the white spots on his belly. Visibility is really very poor now. I´m in the dolphins sonar most of the time. They swim past me, turn around, and come back from behind again. Finally we find our rhythm and swim along together. I loose them out of sight twice, call them and they pick me up again. Wow !
Suddenly a boy is next to me in the water. The dolphins disappear... I see them again 50m further down the coast.

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When I read last years entries it becomes apparent that our relationship with the dolphins has evolved. Last year we often had warning signs and short encounters with dolphins staying under the water for long periods and a couple of adults engaging to distract us. This year we travel with the group.
But dolphins are very picky and make a difference between humans that they know and those they don´t know. Trust has been established between them and us. I feel very privileged.