The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 206. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
The Numbers Game #84
Tag Archives: Dolphins
The Numbers Game #80
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 201. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Simply Red. See more responses here.
Zippy Spinners
In Hawaii, it’s illegal to be within 50 yards of dolphins in the water. The idea is to give them space to carry on with their normal activities without being influenced or pressured by humans.
However, during my last swim a few days ago, I was startled to see a pod of Spinner Dolphins zoom into view and pass by just a few feet away. Short of having access to Star Trek’s transporter, there was no way in the world I was going to be able to put 50 yards between me and the dolphins before they put several hundred yards between them and me. I had time enough to realize my camera had gone into sleep mode, wake it up, and get blurry shots of the disappearing dolphins. Regardless of the photos, it’s always nice to see dolphins and it had been quite a while since I’d done so in the water.
A few minutes later another small pod went by, also at speed, also with no good photo opportunity. A third pod followed with even less chance of a decent photo. But then I saw a fourth pod approaching at a slightly more leisurely pace and managed to get a few photos as they cruised by. Most of my photos weren’t up to much, but I was very happy that these two came out better than I had hoped for. Definitely the highlight of the weekend for me.
Looking back at 2024 – Part 2
Sunday Stills challenge theme this week and last week is ‘Your 2024 Year-in-Review.’ See more responses here. As before, I’m going with a favorite photo from each month of 2024, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in. Last week, I posted favorites from January through June (here). This week, it’s July through December.
They’re coming to get me
I hadn’t been snorkeling for a couple of weeks, having been under the weather. So last week, I was happy to get back in the water, and even happier when a pod of Spinner Dolphins showed up.
I first became aware of them when two snuck up from behind and zipped by just a few feet away. This happened to me once before, not long after moving to Hawaii, and I nearly had a heart attack. These days, I’m more used to expecting the unexpected in the water.
A few went back and forth around me, and I thought they might stick around for a bit, but they continued on their way south, albeit at a less-hurried pace than they often maintain. But it’s always a treat to see them and I was happy that a few photos turned out OK. My last encounter with dolphins, a few weeks ago, resulted in zero usable photos. I think my camera was having some issues, at least that’s my excuse.
The Numbers Game #27
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 148. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
Dolphins and turtles, oh my
In the water yesterday, my wife and I had already seen a small turtle, when this pod of Spinner Dolphins suddenly appeared in the somewhat hazy water. Often, dolphin pods travel fast, but are spread out, with mothers and calves bringing up the rear. This one was moving slower, but tightly bunched. I reckon there were at least 40 or 50 in the pod, and in a few minutes they had all gone by, heading south.
A dolphin encounter is always a highlight of any swim, but conditions were so nice, we carried on across the bay. When we turned to head back in, I saw two turtles, almost directly below me, swimming around in a tight circle. When one headed away, the other followed and the circling resumed. I don’t know what they were up to, but they were still doing this routine when we left them.
Passing through
Yesterday, when I went swimming, the swells rolling in were larger than expected, and the visibility in the water, worse than expected. Consequently, it wasn’t a banner swim until I popped my head out of the water and saw spinner dolphins heading my way.
I reckoned there were at least 60 or 70 dolphins in the pod, but I suspect there the number was closer to 100. I count more than 25 in the top photo and that was one group going by on one side. The traffic was continuous on both sides, and below, for several minutes.
The dolphins weren’t hanging around, but zipped by, heading for their daytime resting spot. Several minutes later, a much smaller group passed by, traveling at a more sedate speed. I’m not sure why that was. Sometimes it’s because they’re escorting calves, but I didn’t see any. Perhaps they were just tired and not inclined to get caught up in the rush of the main group.
Graham's Island 