Dolphins, Dolphins, and More Dolphins ... And a Frozen Engine ~ November 12, 2016


November 12, 2016



We boarded this boat at about 9:30 a.m. in hopes of seeing some whales.  Our Captain, Paulo, talked to us about their spotter, located up on Mt. Brasil, who would direct him to places where he saw either dolphins or whales.  



It wasn't long before we came upon a pod of Common Dolphins.  Very curious, these dolphins followed our boat for a good long time.  We could see them under the water right next to the boat and then watch them jump out of the water.  I just love dolphins; they are so playful and curious.  We could even hear them.


We motored further out and came upon another smaller pod of striped dolphins.  Still no whales, but it was exciting to see a second species of dolphin.  It wasn't long before they stopped jumping for us, and we motored further out.


We were about 10 miles from shore when we came upon the last species for the day - the spotted dolphin.  Captain Paulo said that it was unusual to see these dolphin so late in the year.  He seemed excited that we had the chance to see them.

Alas, no whales on this trip!  The captain came and spoke to each of us apologizing for the lack of whales.  I was really glad to have seen so many dolphin.  It was a beautiful sunny day to be out on the water besides.  


After lunch we returned to the Ocean Emotion offices to set out on our second boat trip of the day, a trip to Ilheus das Cabras (Islands of the Goats).  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately as 2 boat trips in one day seemed excessive to me and I had originally planned them for separate days, but they got combined due to the small number of participants), the boat was having trouble with its engine, so the trip was postponed.



We wandered about the town, admiring the beautiful colors of the buildings, and the cobblestone streets.  We poked our heads into several shops along the way.


Jeff was a fan of the wonderful woodwork on the doors of the homes and shops.


We were both drawn to the mannequins in this bridal shop.  They look very Portuguese, don't they?



Everywhere in the cities are these beautiful mosaics embedded in the sidewalks.  We even saw an elaborate sidewalk "billboard" for a business.  I was sorry that I did not stop to take a photo of that one, but I loved this pattern.



Back at the hotel in time for a spectacular sunset.  I captured these shots through a large mesh sculpture in the courtyard just outside our patio door.






All in all a lovely and wonderful day.  We enjoyed walking the ramparts of our hotel and capturing the beauty all around us.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rocky Mountain High: October 3 - 5, 2018 ~ Seattle

Image
Seattle ~ October 3-5, 2018 Photo Credit:  John Bos We arrived at our apartment at about 9 p.m. and were met by a nice young man named Miles, who escorted us upstairs and gave us a brief overview of the apartment and the rules.  It is a comfortable space with two good sized bedrooms and two full bathrooms. A view of the courtyard from our balcony Kitchen and laundry area Dining room taken from the edge of the living room  We were delighted to find that our host had left us a bottle of Washington State wine in the fridge, so we all toasted our arrival in the Belltown section of Seattle and enjoyed some rest and relaxation in front of the television where we watched the very end of the Wild Card playoff game between the Oakland As and the New York Yankees.  I did a load of laundry and we all retired for the night. With just one full day in Seattle we had our work cut out for us.  Betty Lou had made an appointment for zero balancing whil...
Read more

Rocky Mountain High: The Coast Starlight ~ October 2 - 3, 2018

Image
The Coast Starlight October 2-3, 2018 Wednesday, October 2, 2018 We were up early to catch our Uber ride from our airport hotel to Union Station in downtown LA.  Rosey, our driver, did a great job weaving us in and out of traffic (although Jeff thought she was driving "too fast"), getting us to Union Station in plenty of time for our 10:10 departure.  We made our way to the Metropolitan Lounge and checked in.  Soon after, it was time for boarding.  Our journey on the Coast Starlight will take us 1,377 miles in just about 35 hours (provided we are on time and not delayed). The Metropolitan Lounge Waiting for our Train on the Platform The Redwood Empire The pictures above are of a privately owned railway car that was tacked on to the end of the Coast Starlight.  The R edwood Empire  , Santa Fe No. 33 was built in 1923 for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway by the Pullman Manufacturing Company.  Their web...
Read more

April 15, 2018 ~ An Unprogrammed Day in Prague!

Image
April 15, 2018 ~ An Unprogrammed Day in Prague! Again the sun shone brightly today, although there were some high clouds that wafted in and out.  Still, a very warm and wonderful day for strolling back through the city.  The hotel breakfast is a full European-style breakfast:  eggs, any way you wish are yours for the asking; a full buffet complete with a variety of cheeses, scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes, beans in tomato sauce, bacon, several types of sausage, potatoes, several types of ham, a multitude of bread and rolls, cucumbers, mushrooms, tomatoes, juice, all kinds of fruit, yogurt, all kinds of pastries, and, of course coffee or tea.  This morning we had time to linger and chat with a couple from Agawam that we met on the ship.  Their daughter and grandson had come to Prague to meet them and celebrate their 50th anniversary. We walked across the street to the Mucha Museum shortly after 10 a.m.   Alfons Mucha (1860-1939) was a Cz...
Read more