Guideposts may not be where we expect them, but they are there
The full moon was high in the sky surrounded by cozy clouds as pre sunrise sky filled with dramatic clouds. A plane flying near the moon reminds us about perspective. The flock flew in late with the zoomies, darting off and back several times.
A channel marker, displaced by Hurricane Milton, now sits directly in front of my location, bringing with it a powerful message about guidance. The marker said, "I’m a reminder that guideposts may not always appear where we expect them, but they are always there—just look for the light.’"
Mother Nature added the message by bringing us a beautiful light show. Golden light streamed through the dark clouds giving us a very hopeful heart opening vibe.
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Perspective
Let the emotion inspire and motivate
Good Morning! This is a combo post, the moonrise from last night and sunrise & moonset from this morning.
My favorite day of the month is the morning the sun rises as the full moon sets. It’s powerful and beautiful. The chatty flock didn’t disappoint this morning, they were up close and personal led by One Legger who wanted to be extra close.
The man in the moon brings us the message today. He said, “This month, I am situated in the sky giving you a big nudge to align yourself with your soul’s purpose. Use my energy to let go of any limiting beliefs. Let me help you find your passion for what makes you feel alive.”
“It’s true my energy this month can make you feel angry, let the emotion inspire and motivate you to follow your heart's desires."
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Moonrise
Dreamy moonrise
Moonset
One Legger Up close
October Morning Flock
The wind was whipping! I kept my cameras in the bag to protect from the sandblasting. So I'm sharing another inspirational gull video - Please enjoy 30 minutes of sunrise in a 1 minute video.
Song is Cresting Waves by the incredibly talented Kevin P Holt - Composer Purchased on Artlist.io
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode -Young Dolphin Joyful Play
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode -Young Dolphin Joyful Play
Momma and her calf came in the lagoon feeling extra playful. It might have been the hundreds of mangrove seeds and seaweed inspiring the 45 minute play session.
I hope these photos give you a big smile.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Calf and momma
Dolphin with seaweed
Purge your trash
With a pink sky and soft clouds floating by before sunrise the morning felt romantic and sweet. The flock was already at the beach ready to get squeaky clean and soak up the big golden sun and shimmery light.
Mother Ocean brings us the message today. Mother Ocean spit out loads of debris on the beach. She said, “The hurricane allows me to purge the trash. It’s not pretty but it is necessary. I’m a reminder to let go of the baggage you are carrying you no longer need.”
“I’m also asking for assistance, if you come to the beach, bring a big garbage bag, sometimes we need help getting clean.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
www.shelleylynchphotos.com
Rest deeper into your feet to be present
Autumn was in the air with temperatures dipping below 70. I know my northern friends are laughing at that….
The flock was already at the edge of the ocean ready for bath time when I arrived. Perfect waves rolled toward shore beckoning the surfers to come play.
Pelican Highway traffic was jamming in both directions, some were flying solo others were in long lines of bumper to bumper traffic using each other to glide over the waves down the beach.
A reddish egret danced in the shallows grabbing breakfast. She said, “I’m a reminder to be grounded. As I rest into the long legs, I can be fully present ready to to take action and grab my tasty breakfast.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode- 45 Year Old Dolphin Athlete!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode- 45 Year Old Dolphin Athlete!
15 second video.....This is Uncle Larry showing off his athletic abilities. I met him in 2018 - he 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 and the good news is they found all 3 to be healthy males.
They estimated his age at that time to be around 25, the oldest of the 3 dolphins in the assessment. That makes him approximately 45 years old now! Go Uncle Larry!
Stay tuned for more tales!
A moment of connection can boost your mood
Ahhhhhhh, Mother Nature brought us a sweet and serene golden sunrise to start the day. With a nice breeze and cooler temperatures the morning felt refreshing.
When the sun came up it was a bright gold ball shining bright on the waves rolling toward shore creating beautiful water art.
The flock flew in with Pixar and One legged leading the way. Pixar stopped to say hello bringing get emerge of connection. She said, “Stop and connect, just a moment of relating can boost your mood.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Pixar stooping to say hello
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - What Dolphins Do Before A Hurricane?
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - What Dolphins Do Before A Hurricane?
The sky was dark and grey, rain was just about to arrive. I wanted one last visit with the dolphins before hunkering down. Momma and her calf came into the lagoon along with Uncle Larry and his bestie Jagger.
2 years ago, before hurricane Ian the dolphins binged on redfish knowing the water would be dirty for a few weeks so I expected the same before hurricane Milton.
I stayed close the mangroves so they had space to belly up to the sushi buffet for all you can eat. They did eat a lot of mullet but much to my surprise, they were not just focused on hurricane snacks. They were in a very playful mood, tossing around mangrove seeds, grabbing fish and even taking a few minutes to snuggle.
Post hurricane roll call: So far I have seen Spot the egret, Mikey the great egret, Skylar the osprey, Momma dolphin and her calf and Jagger a male dolphin.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Uncle Larry a male dolphin
Mangrove seed playtime
Lift each other up to be our best selves
First light brought dark and thick clouds, thanks to the wind the clouds separated creating a space for the sun to shine through.
The golden rays of light were much needed bringing a feeling of serenity and hope. A very loud and chant flock of gulls flew in early using the wind to hang in place. One Legger is back, along with 3/4 of the flock. We got back to our usual routine grabbing a bath in the frothy water.
The flock encourages us to utilize community. They said, “We say this often, sure we squabble but we know working together gives us the best chance to thrive. Join us in lifting each other up, so we can all be our best selves.”
Pelican Highway was jamming, gliding through he golden glow reminding us to soak up the sunlight. After sunrise, I walked the marina and saw Luna the osprey. She made it though the hurricane and is looking good.
Wishing you a beautiful day!
Sunrise with Flock after hurricane
Our first sunrise in New Smyrna Beach after Hurricane Milton. My area is still without power but the birds came to share the message of flocking together. They continue to amaze me, surviving the gusts of wind and intensity of nature. They remind us of our resilience and ability to adapt. No matter the challenge, we got this
Inhale, Exhale, release the worry~ Shift to safe and sound
A quick video about worry from the lagoon before heading to higher ground. Charley and M, 2 male dolphins are with me grabbing hurricane snacks.
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Cool Dolphin Dude~ Uncle Larry
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Cool Dolphin Dude~ Uncle Larry
I have seen jagger several times in the past couple weeks but his bestie Uncle Larry. I was concerned because Jagger has what looks like shark bites.
When I met Uncle Larry he was a male escort for the moms and their calves (a maternity pod). In the past 2 years he has been spending most of his time with Jagger (last photo) his male bestie. It makes me wonder if he has passed the full time male protector role on to a younger male.
He still hangs out with the moms and their calves. He shows the kiddos the ropes, teasing them, chasing fish together and playing with all the toys like mangrove seeds and seaweed.
If he was a guy he would be like Jeff bridges, an easy going, cool dude. He cares about the kids, charming with the ladies, loves to play and tell jokes and super nice to everyone he meets.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Uncle Larry
Uncle Larry
Uncle Larry
Uncle Larry with Momma's Calf
Jagger, Uncle Larry's best male friend. You can see the injury to his rostrum
Calm sunrise, Strong bird
Good Morning! It's still raining here in sunny Florida. I thought a few calming sunrise photos with a strong bird would be a nice way to start the day.
Wishing you all a beautiful day!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Reunited with a Female Dolphin Momma
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Reunited with a Female Dolphin Momma
I love this sweet Momma. I got to know her in 2018 when she came into the lagoon with her tiny calf at the time who I named Indy. I was a bit of an emotional mess when I met her. She was so kind spending lots of time with me just a few feet away, hanging out. I most certainly feel like I was being ‘Human Whispered” by this beautiful Momma.
When I met her she was with Uncle Larry who has a number on his dorsal fin 963. (last photo) It looks like 363 from the years of wear and tear. At the time of the health assessment in 2004 he was a health male around the age of 26.
When I first photographed Momma November 2017, the rope entanglement scar looked like it was still in the healing process. Her rope scar makes her easy to identify, although in the first years I used to confuse her with Ocean who also has a rope entanglement scar.
I believe this is her 3rd calf since I met her 6 years ago. From the way Uncle Larry was playing with the little one, I’m guessing it’s a male but I haven’t seen the full belly yet to confirm. Makes me wonder if Uncle Larry is the uncle, the dad or maybe even the grandpa!
Stay tuned for more from Uncle Larry!
Momma with a Sheepshead
Momma hanging out
Cutest baby belly ever!
Uncle Larry Playing with Momma's Baby
See yourself as the light sees you
My apologies for not posting sunrise yesterday I went on a field trip with Pip’s Fishy Adventure to a 3rd grade class. Pip was a bit! More from the outing coming soon.
SUNRISE TODAY:
The sunrise was windy today making the flock a bit jumpy. The ocean was churning like a washing machine creating lots of white water. When the sun came up from behind the clouds, heat filled the air while golden rays jetted out into the morning.
After bath time the gulls enjoyed relaxing down low, out of the wind. While relaxing, one of the gulls seemed to pause—not to judge, but to admire. She said, “I bring the message of compassion for yourself. See the beauty in your reflection, as the light sees you.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
PS ~ Book signing is next Friday at Marine Discovery Center 3:00PM - 6:00PM
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Life of the party!
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode -Life of the Party!
I went through my photos from yesterday and this dolphin played all day long. He was the life of the party! He tossed around a mangrove seed off and on for 30 minutes. He chased fish, snuggled with friends, and even had the zoomies.
Just before he left, he flew out of the water 3 different times. The first leap took me by surprise and was so high it made me gasp! The second leap is the first 4 photos, the third are the last 2 photo. I’m not sure if he was trying to get the remora on his belly off or he just enjoyed flying.
You can see the remora hanging on his belly in the 5th photo. I’m not certain of his gender but based on the dolphin friends he hangs with, I think he is male. I’m thinking about calling him Remora or Remmy.
Today I had the great pleasure of hanging out with Momma and her calf. She was the first Mom dolphin I met in 2017. Stay tuned for that episode, coming soon!
You can see the remora hanging off his belly
Mangrove seed play time
The mangrove seed is high in the sky outside thr frame of the photo.
Trust your visions
Mother Nature brought out all her paint brushes to bring us a dramatic sky with all the colors in the crayon box. The pre sunrise show was full of rain, lightning with purple and grey clouds.
The light breeze felt soft and soothing. Small, shimmering waves rolled toward shore as the sun came up adding a golden glow to the sky. Wet sand reflected a mirror image of the masterpiece.
A chatty flock flew in early eager to get squeaky clean. It’s the time of year when the birds of prey return to enjoy a Florida winter. A red shouldered hawk with quite a stare brings us the message of vision. He said, “ I am here to encourage you to trust your visions, what you know and see is true. Let it bring you strength and courage to soar.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
www.shelleylynchphotos.com
Red shouldered hawk
Tales from the lagoon ~ Episode - Show and Tell with a Gender Reveal!
Tales from the lagoon ~ Episode - Show and Tell with a Gender Reveal!
This young dolphin was with 10 other dolphins all feeling cheerful and playful. He went into the shallows with his mom and another adult to grab fish. He came back with a sheepshead, brought it over and gave it a little toss to show off his catch.
He picked it up then rolled over showing me his belly, which revealed his gender! It’s a boy! Male dolphins have an exclamation point slit on on their belly and females have a division sign slit.
He was quite proud as he glided by making sure I could see his eye and one last toss of the fish! Kids, they sure know how to play.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Sheepshead fish
It's a boy!
Hold On, transformation is here.
Ahhhhhhh, a much needed calm and soothing sunrise. The sliver of a moon was high in the sky above the subtle pink glow 30 minutes before the sun came up to greet the day.
The flock flew in with heir wings and hearts open when it was still dark. Pixar the laughing gull flew right at the camera remind us that the upcoming eclipse can “eclipse” people into our life.
Pelican Highway traffic was jamming in both directions stopping often for fish snacks. Dragonflies of all colors swarmed the dunes bringing us the message of transformation.
They said, “This is a time of change, allow the change unfold. The orange dragonfly said, “It’s true the energy can make you feel like you want to put your head against the wall and hold on for the ride. Not to worry, it is just temporary. You’re stronger than you think.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
A Dreamy Highway
Pixar incoming!