It's not exactly my best artwork, but it reminds me of an amazing event that I will never forget - the first time I saw "Valkkai" the dolphin.
So, having spent the past couple of years conducting a personal photo-identification project on dolphins in various intercoastal waterways, I've met lots of amazing dolphins. But there are a few who just seem extra special to me - Valkkai is one of them.
Idling the boat in Gasparilla Sound, we spotted a group of dolphins by "the trestle." Several calves and their mothers were there - Nori Zith an Morning Glory, and I believe that Longnotch and Zephyr were there as well. Zakat, too was there, with a newborn calf! Usually, when we spot new calves, they are several months old, but this time, we were privileged to see a newborn, who appeared to be at least a week old - likely younger. We kept a safe distance, and were extra careful to keep our boat's propeller far away from the baby - he was so little, I wouldn't doubt that a spinning propeller could have sliced him right in half. The other calves frolicked and breached while the newest member of the Gasparilla Sound pod attempted a few of his own little jumps.
This was an extra special event. I was worried about how the calf might fair through the dangers that young dolphins face in the wild. So, I decided to give him the nickname "Valkkai," which means "life."
And that is how I came to meet Valkkai. I last saw this energetic little guy in July, during our last visit to the Placida area. He was about a year old then, and we watched him breach repeatedly out in the open waters of Gasparilla Sound. It was amazing, and unforgettable.
No comments:
Post a Comment