Dolphins

On the thirteenth day of the trip we were told to assemble on the beach at the crack of dawn for an unscheduled treat. This was an optional side excursion. After some effort on our guide’s part’s, we were divided up into sets of three or four, and sent off in catamarans to look for dolphins.

For the next couple of hours we swarmed the seas with about fifty other boats full of tourists. Apparently the ocean around Lovinia includes a favorite hunting round of the dolphins. We encountered pod after pod. Often we managed to get quite close. Not close enough that I didn’t yearn for a telephoto lens, but enough to get some good shots.

This was our captain. He is an independent operator who agreed to take us on. Anyone could hire him. If you are ever in that area, look for him, because I’m convinced he is the best out there. No, I don’t know his name. Near as I could tell, he doesn’t speak much English. But he certainly knows what his customers want.

Time and again he managed to get his boat close to pods of dolphin. Frequently he would place the boat somewhere that seemed calm and unlikely only to have the dolphins swim right past us. Unlike other captains, he was careful to keep his engines as quiet as possible.

On the way back to shore with about a thousand pictures in the camera I notice some really nice views of the reef a few feet below. As soon as I pointed my camera that direction, he let the boat drift so we could get some good shots. I’m sure he’d have taken us around to see more of the reef, but we were already tired from such an early morning and wanted to get back to shore.

I’m not particularly good at things that involve the crack of dawn, but this was well worth it.