I had dinner with dolphins

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Rico and I have been exploring our new surroundings. Neither one of us have lived in Huntington Beach before. We visit new places to eat whenever we can. Last night we went to Ruby’s Diner located at the end of the Huntington Beach Pier.

For those of you not familiar with Ruby’s it’s a 1940’s style place. Our burgers had just arrived and I’d discovered that it was a dang good thing I’d gotten a 1/2 order of fries since it was huge and so was my burger!

I’d taken one maybe two bites when the little girl sitting in the booth behind us squeeled “Mommy! I just saw a dolphin!”. I’m sitting there thinking " ah, the innocence of children. how sweet!" But at the same time, since being curious is part of my nature and loving dolphins the way I do, I just had to crane my neck to look out the window the direction she could see.

There wasn’t one dolphin! NO, it was more like 7-8 of them. Ric couldn’t see them from where he was sitting so he got up and went to a window that he could see from.

They were traveling northward up the coast but they were well within our view for a good time while they froliced along their way. After they were out of sight, I kept checking just to make sure one of them hadn’t come back. But, alas, no more dolphins during dinner.

After we left the diner, we went out on the very end of the pier and were snuggling together watching the sun start to dip and shine on the water through the clouds. It seemed like the perfect ending to what had been a pretty dang good day when all of a sudden, 4 more dolphins came into sight. They, too, were heading north.

Yes, there was a railing around the pier, but since one of my goals is to swim with dolphins, I just had to think about the possibility of jumping over the railing. What were the chances I could swim out to them???

Now, I’m NOT in good physical condition. Hell, I’m not even in good physical health right now so the chances seemed pretty near impossible, but I found myself thinking back on the days when I lifted weights 3 days/week and swam 1 mile 5 days/week.

I thought Ric had figured out that I’d been adventurous/crazy when I was younger, but as I wondered outloud to him, he didn’t believe that there was ever a time in my life I wouldn’t have hesitated jumping off that pier!

Silly man… Still doesn’t know he married a firecracker. :smiley:

2

Just to throw in my $0.02, it was an awesome sight. I’ve seen dolphins in captivity before, but never in the wild.

It’s an experience I hope to repeat in the future. Yes, we were a good distance away, but the viewing of dolphins playing in the open ocean was incredible.

3

Congratulations cadolphin and Rico! Seeing dolphins in the wild is a treat. I ride the Coaster commuter rail line everyday along the coast through Del Mar. Many passengers spend their ride looking out over the ocean. We are usually rewarded with the glimpse of a dolphin or two. Once we all spotted a small pod of about 6 swimming close together just beyond the surfline. Just as the train came abreast of the group then turned as one and surfed in the wave for a moment. You should have heard the cheer that went up on the train.

4

Just to throw in my $0.02, it was an awesome sight. I’ve seen dolphins in captivity before, but never in the wild.

It’s an experience I hope to repeat in the future. Yes, we were a good distance away, but the viewing of dolphins playing in the open ocean was incredible.

5

Now how did that happen?

A double post almost 2 hours apart?

The hamsters burped up breakfast!

6

What with the tuna I eat, I’ve probably had dolphins with dinner…
…does that count?

7

I went fishing with a group, from Newport Beach, CA. I believe that it was pacific white-sided dolphins (http://www.deskpicture.com/DPs/Nature/Animals/Whales/PacWhitesidedDolphin_3.html) that caught the ship and surfed the compression wave off the bow. They were able to hold very still, and then a tail would twitch as they corrected something. Every ten seconds or so, one of the six or seven would come up about a foot to breathe. It was great.

8

I’ve seen sea lions, but not dolphins! I’m jealous!

Though a curious baby sea lion watching you from a distance is, I promise, one of the cutest things you’ll ever see. “What are THEY?” I could almost hear it asking its mother.

9

Now if you can get some dolphin on rye bread with just a little mayo, that is tasty.

As for sea lions, I had some stealing my bait when I went fishing in California. Dang things would bite the tail off of the bait fish, and just leave the head. I kept trying to hook one, but that didn’t work.