This morning, as we were sitting in our cockpit, we had the pleasure of watching a dolphin mom and her baby within a few feet of the boat. As we learned at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, Florida, a baby dolphin learns what to do by mimicking its mother, and the first thing it learns is how to breathe. This little guy (or girl) seemed to know how to go up and breathe, but it appears that he didn't yet know how to dive. With very exaggerated motions, the baby would dive down, with a fluke, and only go down a few feet. Many times, he would end up on his back, and then struggle to right himself. It was as if he was saying 'I know I'm not supposed to be like this, but I'm not quite sure what to do'. It appeared that he would be very tired after this morning romp, and we were glad that he's fed by his mom, since he probably won't catch anything himself for quite a while. We felt as though we were seeing some of the baby's 'first steps'.
The mother and baby were a ways apart, and the baby was only about five feet from our boat. But, the mom was watching all the time, and when a ferry came by, she immediately rejoined her baby, and we could hear her say 'now you have to stay close and stay out of harm'.
Joyce
Moored in White Sound
Green Turtle Cay
Abacos, Bahamas
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