Dolphin encounter
We went fishing one day last week and had a visit from a dolphin (the Flipper kind, not the tasty kind) who may have been smarter than we were.
We often see dolphins during our boating excursions, sometimes they even swim along with the boat for a while, but this one turned up when we anchored to fish, and stuck around for a while close to the boat. I tossed a few sardines from our bait bin overboard and noticed that the dolphin didn't go after them immediately, but swam past watching them sink and then after several seconds turned and went after them.
It all became clear when we started fishing. We were going for grouper and snapper, both bottom fish. We'd drop our baited hooks down with a big sinker, and our dolphin friend showed no interest. When one of us hooked a fish and started pulling it up, however, he got visibly excited, turning circles and splashing very close to the boat. He hadn't gone after the sardines on the hook, nor was he interested in the fish as they came up. When we released the shorts, though, he was ready and waiting, and nailed each and every one of them before they'd gotten ten feet down. The speed with which he turned and zeroed in on his prey as soon as it hit the water was amazing!
Now I'm wondering just how much of the process this critter recognizes. The boat? The fishing spots? The sound of the engines? Fishing rods? He was hanging around before we ever put bait in the water, so it wasn't the sardines that attracted him. He'd get excited as soon as someone started reeling in a fish. Could he see the hooked grouper 50' down? Smell it? Hear it? Or did he see one of us grabbing a rod up on the boat? How does he tell the difference between a sardine dropped in the water and one that's bait on a hook? Amazing stuff.
We often see dolphins during our boating excursions, sometimes they even swim along with the boat for a while, but this one turned up when we anchored to fish, and stuck around for a while close to the boat. I tossed a few sardines from our bait bin overboard and noticed that the dolphin didn't go after them immediately, but swam past watching them sink and then after several seconds turned and went after them.
It all became clear when we started fishing. We were going for grouper and snapper, both bottom fish. We'd drop our baited hooks down with a big sinker, and our dolphin friend showed no interest. When one of us hooked a fish and started pulling it up, however, he got visibly excited, turning circles and splashing very close to the boat. He hadn't gone after the sardines on the hook, nor was he interested in the fish as they came up. When we released the shorts, though, he was ready and waiting, and nailed each and every one of them before they'd gotten ten feet down. The speed with which he turned and zeroed in on his prey as soon as it hit the water was amazing!
Now I'm wondering just how much of the process this critter recognizes. The boat? The fishing spots? The sound of the engines? Fishing rods? He was hanging around before we ever put bait in the water, so it wasn't the sardines that attracted him. He'd get excited as soon as someone started reeling in a fish. Could he see the hooked grouper 50' down? Smell it? Hear it? Or did he see one of us grabbing a rod up on the boat? How does he tell the difference between a sardine dropped in the water and one that's bait on a hook? Amazing stuff.