Small rolling breakers over the reef & some white caps seen
The morning was slow for me with video IDs filling a few hours. Several groups of tourists from a cruise ship visited with the dolphins this morning. So, I gathered data in the early afternoon, just after the dolphins had lunch. The surface was a bit choppy but the underwater visibility remained good. And, the dolphins seemed mildly social with brief interactions between themselves. I even saw Rita and Cedeña today! Gracie was playing with Jack, her son; they rolled over one another and chased each other. Each emitted whistles with bubble streams alternately. It was fun to watch. I also recorded Bill chasing Mr. French as if to taunt him into rough and tumble play. Bill went too far a couple of times and Mr. French swam back to his mom, Mrs. Beasly. She in turn “told Bill off”. This telling off included a few direct chases, some squawks and whistles, and even a tail slap under water. Bill moved on. (I must say I do not think Mr. French was completely innocent or blameless.) I recorded 57 minutes of video and click data – a great day! I have two more days and 2-3 more observation sessions. It’s hard to believe how fast the time is flying by. Cheers Kathleen P.S. Hurricane Rita is aimed for Galveston. Here’s hoping she lessens in strength prior to reaching land.