The Sea Lion continued her course searching these rich waters for elusive marine mammals. Soon Larry Hobbs, our marine mammal specialist, made an announcement over the P.A. summoning everyone to the bow of the ship to see a special Baja California treat….watching bottle nose dolphins as they bow ride on the pressure wave created by the bow of the Sea Lion. The forward deck of the ship was rapidly filled with many of us in a particular pose as we watched over the bow as dolphins looked up, were they watching us? For the next thirty-five minutes the Sea Lion moved in a circular pattern through small swells creating a new path for these bottle nose dolphins to follow! Occasionally a dolphin would make a six-foot leap into the air a few feet from the front lounge windows.
With the backdrop of the Baja peninsula, a silvery sky, and patches of unusual winter light, we had our first marine mammal sighting. And from a close vantage point, those of us watching directly over the bow wondered about their world. As our observation continued, Larry began to discuss the world of the Bottlenose dolphin and the rainbow of sound that encompasses that undersea world. As beings from different environments shared a moment it was pleasant to let our imaginations wander into the water world of sound that is the Bottlenose dolphins' world.
