Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Uncle Larry Announces A Maternity Pod
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Uncle Larry Announces A Maternity Pod
I was hanging with Uncle Larry and Jagger, 2 male dolphins for about an hour when Uncle Larry came out of the water then started chuffing. Dolphins communicate in many ways, one is by chuffing. Chuffing is when they blow with intensity repeatedly.
I wasn’t sure why so I asked him and also looked around to make sure I wasn’t in his way and that there wasn’t any danger in the area. In the past, I had a dolphin swim at me chuffing with serious intensity turns out he was warning me about a shark. I felt his urgency, and backed up to the shallow water when I saw the shark.
About 2 minutes later, several momma dolphins and their calves swam into the lagoon. It was like a reunion, they all hugged and connected then the maternity pod left in a flash. The boys stayed for a bit longer to enjoy a few more mullet before heading out.
Uncle Larry
Uncle Larry
Uncle Larry chuffing
Uncle Larry chuffing
Maternity pod ( Moms and their calves)
help and support each other
With a light drizzle before sunrise and thick layered clouds I wasn’t sure we would have a sunrise.
What a difference a few minutes can make! The gray and white colors switched to to a pink and purple hue followed by breathtaking golden streaming light.
The flock flew in at the usual time and among them was a new bird with hospital bracelets on his feet.
We chatted for a while after the flock left, he said, “I bring the message of being open to receiving help and support."
"You see, I was struggling when some nice people took me in, gave me food and love. Now, I can move forward, one foot in front of the other with pride and strength.”
Overhead several osprey were floating in the thermals adding to the message. “It’s true we squabble and fight over territory but we also know how to work together, supporting each other. Help comes in many forms, it feels good to help my friend feel strong.“
Wishing you a day feeling supported!
Ospreys supporting each other not fighting
Laughing gull showing his bracelets from the hospital
stepping forward with confidence
One step at a time
Mother Nature brought us a dramatic sunrise with purple rain, huge clouds, wind, a churning ocean and the very loud flock of gulls.
Venus was bright in the sky before the sun came up. The flock flew in when It was still dark and hung in place using the wind to keep them steady.
Ospreys and Pelican Highway zipped by using the wind to cover more territory fast!
The purple rain and sunrise reflecting on the wet sand was artful and heart opening.
We have a combo message from a sleeping gull and a box turtle. The gull was taking a break from the wind said, “Resting is a very important aspect of my health. I am here to encourage resting and napping. Give your body time to recharge and stay strong.”
A box turtle was in the dunes when it was still dark added to the gull saying, “She is right! Resting and a slow steady pace is a great way to keep your strength. As you can see, I take it one step at a time, knowing I will find my way by enjoying each moment.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Venus in teh sky before sunrise
Rest to recharge
Turtle before sunrise saying one step at a time
Dive in with ease
The wind was whipping, the ocean was churning while the sky was filled with soft clouds and pastel colors creating a Monet looking sky.
The flock of gulls flew in chatty and extremely playful. They used the wind to hang in place for the longest time. We enjoyed closeness and getting squeaky clean followed by nap time.
Pelican Highway was cruising in both directions looking for breakfast.
One of the pelicans brings us the message of relaxing into commitment. He said, “Be open to people, places and things aligning. Not to worry, you will know when to dive in. When that time comes, take a deep breath and go for it. I recommend relaxing your tail feathers and dive in!”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Don’t give up, you got this!
WOWIE! 30 minutes before the sun came up the sky was filled with a ceiling of fluffy clouds soaking up breathtaking pink light.
The sunrise continually morphed over time reflecting on the wet sand, giving us a heart opening start to the day.
The chatty gulls flew in to greet the day and connect. Shortly after sunrise, a high speed chase broke out in the flock over a fishy. The gull with the fish brings us bird wisdom today.
She said, “Other than daily self care, for us birds, we need to stay focused on our goal to thrive. I'm a reminder to keep your eye on your fish, even when it may slip away, don’t give up. Stay the course, regroup and go after it.”
“Sure sometimes you may have competition, but not to worry, what is meant for you will never pass you by.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Stay focused on your goal
Even when it slips away….regroup and go again
Score!
A year ago yesterday…One of my best days with wildlife!
A year ago yesterday ...One of my best days with wildlife!
Almost kissed by a humpback and they spent about an hour with us, never touching the boat until they got ready to leave. Before leaving, one of them gave a gentle nudge with his head then swam to the next boat to play with them!
Moss Landing California. On a boat with Slater Moore Photography. I highly recommend!
Embody joy to help others
As I walked to the beach I could see the ribbons of color filling the sky. It was even more breathtaking the close I got to the ocean.
The first thing I noticed in the sky were called shaped wispy angels soaking up the color.
Mother Nature pulled out the swirly paint brush with heart expanding color palette filling the sky and water with all the colors of the rainbow.
The chatty flock came in at their usual time, ready to get squeaky clean.
A pod of dolphins came from the north, stopping to play for a few minutes before moving on. They said, "Sometimes it's good to have the same message a few days on row."
"We bring you the remind to play! Break into spontaneous play to create a shift, remembering you can help shift others with your happy vibe."
Wishing you happy day friends!
Dolphin surfing.
Dolphin in the wave
Wispy angel clouds
Play to shift your mood
It was dark and very quiet when I reached the ocean. A bright golden orange glow was starting on the horizon while dolphins frolicked far off shore.
One flew out of the water saying, “Let’s play! Even a moment of smiling and being goofy can shift your mood.”
A large flock of gulls flew in when it was still dark. They were so chatty and fun, their legs and wing were flying in every direction.
They stayed to enjoy bath time and watch the sun come up. One of the gulls said, He said, “Sure us gulls look similar but each of us is unique and special. Soak up the light, let it show you how beautiful you are.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
First Light Pelican Highway
Frolicking offshore
Reflection of love and light
Soak up the light to feel better
Before the sun came up the morning the stillness was palpable. The sky was filled with a sweet pink and blue mix.
A soft breeze was accompanied by a calm ocean with perfect waves soaking up the light as the sun came up to greet the day.
Pelican Highway was heavy, jamming in both directions.
The flock of gulls flew in before sunrise and stayed until the sun came up. They bring us the message of hanging in the light.
They said, “When things feel painful or overwhelming we find hanging in the light makes everything feel better."
" You see, soaking up the sunlight is good for our mood and health. Join us? Let the light seep into your cells to help you feel light and free.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
First Light
Inspire others to lift up with hearts and wings open
Hanging in the light
A sparkly Pelican Highway
Relax into the flow
Ooooh, such a pretty sunrise with a wide open sky the sun came up unencumbered, ready to bring light and warmth to start our day.
The flock of gulls flew in at the same time Pelican Highway traffic was picking up. The gulls were their usual cute selves ready for bath time.
One of the gulls said, “You know, dogs sure know what they are doing when they give themselves a good shake. I’m sure you know what I mean, the kind of shake where your tail feathers fluff up, looking really cute for the weekend. And it's gets the stress off. I highly recommend giving it a try!”
Pelican Highway came from the north in perfect form gliding gently over the waves. As they flew in front of the sun they said, “Relax into the flow and let the energy carry you. There is much support when you allow the current to carry you.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode- Play Ball!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode- Play Ball!
It's the time of year when the cold weather brings hundreds of canonball jellyfish into the lagoon for their last days.
These are my favorite jellyfish because they don't sting.
Dolphins of all ages were playing ball for an hour yesterday. They were passing them back and forth and tossing them in the late afternoon sparkly light.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Catnaps, good for recharging
As I waited for the sun to come up and greet the day, the huge flock of gulls flew in from the south ready to get squeaky clean. So many snowbirds returning for the winter, tired from their flight.
One of the gulls said, “I admire the furry animal called the cat. Well, from a distance anyway…. I don’t want to spend time with the furry beast, but will follow their lead and enjoy a catnap. You see, just a quick rest can do wonders for fatigue. Closing my eyes gives my mind and body the opportunity to recharge.”
Soft golden rays jetted into the sky just before the sun came up. A soft and chilly breeze added to the refreshing vibe. A flock of egrets came in to look for breakfast bringing us the message of being firmly grounded in the present moment.
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Open hearts and wings….lean in
Know when to be vulnerable and when to be fierce
With a cold snap and chilly breeze the morning felt invigorating! The ocean was churning with the wind blowing the tops of the waves. The salt spray looked like what I call Florida snow, you know the kind that doesn’t need shoveled.
When the sun came up, it started with little cracks of light through the clouds, but eventually broke through streaming golden light and bringing warmth.
The flock flew in chatty and ready to connect. One Legger and Split Foot led the flock bringing us the message of the day.
One Legger said, “I’m here to encourage showing off your strength as well as allow yourself to be vulnerable. For us birds it’ about balance and knowing when to be open and when to be fierce. Not to worry, you can trust yourself to know.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
One legger showing her calm strength
and her vulnerable side
Communication through eye contact
It was dark and cozy this morning with a cloud wall on the horizon keeping the sun hidden for a long time. The ocean was calm and warmer than the air with small waves rolling toward shore.
The chatty flock flew in early and stayed for bath time. Osprey were lined up like an airport flying southbound about a minute apart. They were all looking for breakfast in the shallows. One of them stopped for a moment of eye contact to bring us the message of the day.
She said, “Eye contact is a great way to greet a friend, communicate emotions and share a moment of intimacy. In this photo, I was letting the camera lady know she was standing in my breakfast buffet. Can you hear me now?”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Check out the whopper fish catch in previous post
Can you her me now?
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Late Lunch with Uncle Larry and Jagger
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Late Lunch with Uncle Larry and Jagger
Yesterday, Uncle Larry and Jagger hung around for a couple hours enjoying a late lunch and lots of connection time.
The day started with 4 male dolphin for about 30 minutes. 2 left but Uncle Larry and jagger stayed to play and enjoy teasing the camera.
These two are besties and love chasing fish at mach speed or just rolling around with each other. They both cached redfish at the same time, turning the calm lagoon into washing machine.
They were passing by the camera sending waves and whoosh of energy my direction. It’s always an honor when they choose to interact and be playful, giving me opportunities to snap some action photos.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Uncle Larry catches a whopper
Uncle Larry
Uncle Larry
Jagger catching a fish
Uncle Larry
Self care to keep your heart open
As my feet hit the sand the first thing I saw was Mother Nature sending out her Pink Peace Ray like the sign they use to call Batman.
Then the flock flew in with their wings and hearts open. They said, “Stay open to love, be the beacon of hope for those around you.”
Waves rolled toward shore with the breeze blowing the tops sending colorful sparkles into the air. Pelican Highway cruised over the waves heading southbound.
The flock and I got squeaky clean in the warm water. They said, “You see, we know how important it is to get the bugs off so we can stay healthy."
"When things are overwhelming or the bugs build up we feel sick and tired. Daily self care helps us stay strong, able to handle the day with strength and clarity.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Peace Rays
Getting squeaky clean
Let the waves roll over you
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I’m away from sunrise until tomorrow…
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Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - The Dolphin Uncle Larry is Back!
It's overcast with spitting rain today so thought I'd share the lagoon shenanigans from yesterday.....
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - The Dolphin Uncle Larry is Back!
If you are just tuning in I met the dolphin called Uncle Larry in 2018. At that time, he spent his days with a maternity pod including Momma and her calf Indy.
Momma was the first mom dolphin I met, not thinking I would met others I named her Momma. Indy was named after the Indian river. Uncle Larry was the male dolphin escorting the moms and their calves.
The photos with the baby dolphin is Indy, being sandwiched between Uncle Larry and Momma.
At that time, I spent quite a bit of time with Momma and Indy but not much with Uncle Larry. It wasn’t until 2022 that he started engaging and showed his very playful side. My guess is he took his parental role very serious back in 2018.
It appears he retired from being the male protector for the maternity pod because now he hangs out with another male dolphin named Jagger. I do still see him with the kiddos and Momma but he doesn’t seem to have the same role.
Uncle Larry has the number 963 on his dorsal fin. I learned he was part of a health assessment in 2004. What that means is a research team checked 3 dolphins for health issues, the good news is they found all 3 to be healthy males.
They estimated his age at that time to be around 25, he was the oldest of the 3 dolphins in the assessment. That makes him approximately 44 years old now! Makes me wonder if he is related to Jagger, maybe Jagger is his son or grandson.
The original researcher has since passed away but when he heard the news the 3 males were doing well, he was very happy to hear the unexpected update.
Uncle Larry loves to engage the camera, paddle boarders and even tease the pelicans. He spent time teasing Pip the pelican last year. Pip didn’t like that so much but Uncle Larry thought it was a hoot giving him a little bump when he swam under Pip.
When I first got in the water in 2018, I never thought in a million years I would get to know the wildlife in such a personal way. I'm grateful for the glimpse into their world.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Teh indentation on his side is from the health assessment.
Good Morning!
It was a dark and cozy moody bluesy kind of sunrise so just posting a video today.
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!