Early in the morning, our guide took us out on the Kiawah River. This river separates Kiawah Island from the South Carolina mainland.
Früh am Morgen folgten wir unserem Reiseleiter auf den Kiawah. Dieser Fluss trennt die Kiawah Insel vom South Carolina Festland.
We saw birds and tidal islands covered with oysters, but we were on a mission to see something very special. The guide knew exactly where to find them.
Wir sahen Vögel und kleine Inseln bedeckt mit Austern, aber wir wollten etwas ganz Besonderes sehen. Der Reiseleiter wusste genau, wo wir sie finden konnten.
I am sure the sight of these dorsal fins has scared many unsuspecting visitors. But, these creatures are not dangerous.
Sicherlich hat der Anblick dieser dorsalen Flossen viele ahnungslose Besucher schon erschreckt. Aber diese Wesen sind nicht gefährlich.
They are river dolphins!
Sie sind Flussdelfine!
Here is a dolphin mama with her baby swimming very close to her. The mama’s name is Bianca. Our guide knew all the dolphins by name recognizing them by the unique shape of their dorsal fin.
Hier ist eine Delfin-Mama mit ihrem Baby, das ganz nahe neben ihr schwimmt. Die Mama heisst Bianca. Unser Reiseleiter erkannte alle Delfine an ihren dorsalen Flossen.
A huge commotion along the river’s edge was actually a hunting party. This communal hunt is called “stranding.” The dolphins throw their bodies against the sand and roll back into the water. By splashing the water hard, fish are temporarily stunned and become easy prey to collect for a rich breakfast feast.
Ein Riesentumult am Rande des Flusses entlang war wirklich eine Jagdpartei. Diese Kommunaljagd nennt man ‘stranding’. Die Delfine werfen ihre Körper gegen den Sand und lassen sich ins Wasser zurückfallen. Dadurch werden Fische provisorisch betäubt und werden leichte Beute für ein üppiges Frühstück.
It was difficult to anticipate where the dolphins would emerge. But we could always hear them breathe when they broke the surface and sometimes blow water droplets high up into the air.
Es war schwierig vorauszusehen, wo die Delfine erscheinen würden. Aber wir konnten sie immer atmen hören, als sie durch die Wasseroberfläche brachen und manchmal Wassertropfen hoch in die Luft geblasen haben.
I wanted to see their faces but only caught dark bodies with dorsal and tail fins until one of them jumped out of the water, dancing on its tail, then falling back into the river with a huge splash. Oh, the exuberance and joy of it!
Ich wollte ihre Gesichter sehen aber konnte nur dunkle Körper mit dorsalen und Schwanzflossen erkennen, bis einer von ihnen aus dem Wasser sprang, auf seiner Schwanzflosse tanzend, und dann mit einer riesigen Spritzerei in das Wasser zurückfiel. Oh, welche Freude!
Finally, the little one held its face long enough above water to be seen. What a sweet gift…
Endlich hielt der Kleine sein Gesicht lange genug aus dem Wasser, daß ich ihn sehen konnte. Was für ein süßes Geschenk…
Ailsa’s Travel Theme this week is “Face.”
Worth waiting for:)
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Yes, definitely. Thanks for stopping by.
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It’s always amazing to watch dolphins, isn’t it? I love that second-to-last photo of the dolphin jumping out of the water. And I’m glad you were able to catch that cute face of the little one! 🙂
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They are such playful creatures and I am so happy they are free and not contained somewhere in a water park.
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Marvelous post! I wish I had been there! I actually got to pet a pink river dolphin on the Amazon (actually the Negro). There was a place where they would come up in a small opening in a dock, and allow some contact. Very sweet!
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What a beautiful experience for you. Dolphins have such a sweet energy about them and you can “feel” their intelligence.
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Their playfulness is legendary. They love to surf the very substantial bow waves of tankers and other merchant ships plying the Houston Ship Channel. It’s always fun to see them, and especially so for people riding the ferries, who don’t often get a chance to experience such things.
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It is a lot of fun to watch them play and cavort…
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River dolphins, who knew? Thanks for sharing these great photos.
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I believe they are the same species of dolphins found elsewhere in the Atlantic; they have chosen the (salt water) river as their habitat, so I call them “river dolphins.” 🙂
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awesome capture! 🙂
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Some really nice shots!
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wow what a magical and special sight. Thanks so much for sharing the joy with us 🙂
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My pleasure, Seonaid.
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That would have been so amazing to see!
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Hi Pat – I just looked at your post and tried leaving a comment but it wouldn’t accept my WP address…
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you are right, I wasn’t expecting THIS kind of face. great photos, with all those splashes, shimmers and cute faces.
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Thank you, Klara, for stopping by. Glad you liked the post.
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Hi Annette! Well I learned something new today. I had no idea there were such a thing as river dolphins. Your photos are awesome and I so enjoyed your adventure. Thanks! ~Kathy
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Thanks for stopping by, Kathy. Glad you enjoyed the post.
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Wow! River dolphins splashing about–that’s something to see.
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Yes, so thrilling!
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Spectacular. I love to see the dolphins play in the bay.
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Meeting these dolphins brought lightness and joy to my entire day…
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Your photos were gorgeous too!
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Thanks – culled from hundreds that weren’t 🙂
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Some really amazing shots here – what a wonderful gift to see these dolphins. Lucky you! 🙂
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Thank you, Eliza. They were truly a gift.
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Great photography! Beautiful experience!
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Breathtaking images, Annette. What beautiful creatures we have on this planet. Make your heart soar.
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Yes, always something to revel in when everything else is on the loose…:-)
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