Since we will head back north in the morning, my wife and I went out back this evening to catch the last rays of sunset and to see what might be happening on Sarasota Bay; it was low tide, ensuring that we would encounter a good variety of waders and sea birds. While that assumption proved to be true, the highlight of this balmy dusk was a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins that circled past our condo.
As if to bid us farewell, these intelligent mammals were in no hurry to leave and provided a welcome show with their antics. A mother and her calf, joined by three other dolphins, cavorted near the sea wall and splashed about in the shallows. Hunting for fish did not seem to be a priority.
Once darkness envelops the Bay, our visitors will drift along near the surface or simply float in place. The ability to sleep with half their brain at a time (uni-hemispheric sleeping) allows them to receive the benefits of sleep while staying alert and not drowning. We sincerely appreciated their visit and wish them a restful night, one hemisphere at a time!
