Watching bottlenose dolphins

Staying at the beach has such a relaxing effect ... is it the bottlenose dolphins swimming by, the seagulls flying over, the smell of the ocean or just the sounds of the waves. I don’t know, but I just love the beach!

And yes, there they were. At least 8 dolphins having a great time, jumping in and out of the water as if they were giving a show. It really was amazing to see! Too bad, my pictures can’t show how fabulous it was to see...They were just to fast for me. But if you look closely you can spot them ;-)

Some Dolphin facts I've learned:
Size: 7-10 feet long, weighing 300-500 lbs.
Food: Fish and squid. Dolphins have special taste buds to ‘taste’ the water in search for food.
Cruising Speed: 3-7 miles per hour, with bursts up to 22 miles per hour.
Diving Depth: 200 feet, plus. They can hold their breath for 10 minutes on a dive.
Life Span: over 30 years in the wild.
(Source: Informative board at the beach)

I thought it was really nice to have these informative boards at the beach. Something else they inform you about at the beach with boards and information are Rip Currents.

A rip current is a powerful river of water running out to sea from the shore. As waves pile up on the beach, the water forms rip currents as it heads back to sea. Rip currents are dangerous to swimmers. (In the USA alone, rip currents cause 100 drownings a year.)

Here is some advice they give you if you get caught in a rip current: Don’t panic. Don’t swim against it. Instead swim parallel to the shoreline until you feel the current relax, or let the current carry you until its force diminishes. Then swim back to shore. Always swim at a beach with lifeguards and with a friend. Never underestimate the force of the ocean.

Next week, I'm off to visit Philly (Philadelphia)!

Go back for more in my travel journal
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