My Dad took me on an awesome boat ride!!

[Angeleyes]

When I first got to Florida my dad was SOOOO excited to take me out on the new speed boat. It's a 12 passenger- so I figured it would be a slow boring ride, lol. Although my dad isn't the slow boring type... I don't know why I assumed that. I was tired from my flight and really didn't feel like going. However, my dad was SO excited and I hadn't seen him in months! How could I say no?????

I totally forgot about the wildlife in Southwest Florida- it's unreal. Really! I mean, I knew I'd see lots of birds, fish, sea otters even... things like that. But what I saw was probably the most I could have asked for... one of my absolute favorites (yes, I'm going to make you wait!).

So there we were in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico... flying on this very fast, very fun boat! It was LOTS of fun! All of a sudden we see movement ahead- and my dad quickly shuts the perpellers down. I couldn't make them out until we stopped. I realized as soon as the waves cleared that there were 5 Manatees just hanging out at the top of the water! We nearly killed them!!! They looked at us like "Jerks!"... lol- but we didn't kill them, and that's what counts!!! Plus.... I wasn't even aware that they hung out in groups!!! They are SOOOOo slow- no wonder there are laws about going fast in shallow water over there! Poor guys... but thats not what I was excited about.

So we continued on and as we were going a decent speed I saw something jump in the corner of my eye. I quickly turned around to see a tail going into the water... and a few dorsal fins sticking out of the water. Now THAT was something I recognized immediately... I screamed to my dad to stop the boat- and he did, immediately. OMG how mad I was for not bringing my camera... we were SURROUNDED by a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!! I dont know if that's a big deal to you all... but it is to me because I LOVE them so much!!! (Plus I'm a city girl... so I don't get to see these things much!) They were practically performing for us... jumping right up against the boat... there was even a mommy and baby jumping RIGHT up against each other- like they were connected... it was SOOOO beautiful!!! One HUGE one came over and put his side out of the water and just looked at me with one eye... so I put my hand off the side of the boat (I was DYING for them to come right over to me) he just jumped out of the water and splashed me, lol. None of them came within touching distance... but I've never seen a dolphin in it's natural habitat so closely... it was surreal. I counted seven that I could see at once, but I'm sure there were probably more.

I really felt like jumping into the water with them... they were SO beautiful. We sat and watched them for about ten minutes and they hung around the boat jumping and playing. I pouted for a bit about not bringing my camera- or at least my camera phone!!! But it's definitely something that I don't need a picture to remember.

[Kandy]

That's awesome!!! I've never seen a dolphin in the wild, and I've never seen a manatee except on tv or in magazines. How cool!!!

I did swim with dolphins on Antigua a few years ago. That was an awesome experience.

[Angeleyes]

See I've never done the "swim with the dolphins" thing because I've read articles about them being less than nice to the dolphins they use. Especially when they make you grab the dorsal of two dolphins and they take you for a ride. I've always wanted to, but I felt bad. So this was exceptional to me.

The Manatee is SOO cute in an ugly kind of way! LOL! They are loaded with them by my parents. You can't even make a wake in the canals because they consider that to be too fast for the Manatee's. They are like the cows of the ocean, lol.

Seeing the dolphins though... it was SO beautiful... I don't even think a thousand words can explain.

[Kandy]

The place dh and I were at on Antigua doesn't allow you to "hold on" to the dolphins like that, so it was more like we got to swim and the dolpins would come and let us pet them and kiss them. This place actually rehabilitates dolphins that are injured from fisherman's nets or shark attacks. They also hold educational seminars for school kids on different islands to teach them about the dangers of littering - especially plastic grocery sacks that can kill so many dolphins. The sacks don't disintegrate, so if they end up in the water, a dolphin will eat it before they realize its not food. The bag kills the dolphin, the dolphin decomposes, the bag comes back out and floats to the surface to do it again. I was really impressed with this place. I also picked up everything plastic that I saw on a beach for the rest of the trip - and when I went to cancun too!


Their skin is amazing!!! And they are soooo smart!!!! When dh kissed his dolphin, it shook its head and spit at him! Too funny!!!!!

[Angeleyes]

LOL, that is awesome Kandy! I'm sorry if I came off wrong- I didn't mean your place was definitely a bad place. I just read some bad things about some places that the cruise ships take you to- so I didn't go (as bad as I wanted to!). A place like that one you went to I'd love to go!!!

That's a beautiful picture!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Treener]

THAT IS SOOOOOOOO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! I love dolphins too. Everytime we go away, I have to buy something with a dolphin or is a dolphins shape. I have a huge collections of dolphins. Some are wood, glass, crystal, plastic you name it i have it!!! I love manatees too, it is so sad that they get cut up by boats they just float along the top and are usually very interested in humans and boats.

[Kandy]

I've read that about manatees too. That they are soooo gentle and so curious. I read at one time that they were considered an endangered species.

I also collect all sorts of dolphin things - I have lots of statues, wind chimes, etc. I bought the coolest glass dolphin statue in Cancun, but it didn't make it home in one piece. Dh had packed one of our suitcases without asking, and like an idiot, I didn't check it. That happened to be the one he put the statue in and it got crushed. I think it was crushed before we ever got on the plane - he had it placed against the outside of the suitcase with no padding at all.

[Treener]

do i need to say it again. MEN!!!!!rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Golden Girls]

Dolphins are one of my favorite mammals ... their amazing! Your soo lucky to have had a chance up close like that, and in their own natural environment. Wow where's the camera when you need one hey? That doesn't happen too often to us city girls ... but thanks for sharing, reading your post I felt like I seen them too.

[Melinda]

Manatee's are one of my most favorite creatures!!! I have pics of them, broaches, statues etc....I find them so fascinating! Angeleyes , sounds like you went on the rid of your life!! *not speaking to her now because she didn't take her camera.* *L*