Tales from the Lagoon ~ Lovefest with a maternity pod
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Lovefest with a Maternity Pod
The day started out with Momma Jade and her latest baby and another adult. Momma Jade was her usual engaging and playful self. After a couple hours with the 3 of them 2 more moms and their calves came in with a few other adults.
They were kid enough to invite me into the pod and swam around me like a pelican or just part of the pod. An honor I never take lightly. Today was the first time fish trying to escape the dolphins flew into me as they were escaping. It was crazy exciting!
I had the great pleasure of getting to know a mom I have seen but not spent much time with her and her calf. She has a split dorsal fin so she is easy to identify. She and her baby are full of love. They were constantly kissing and touching and hugging.
All the moms and their calves were extra sweet, a couple hours of loving, cuddling and kissing. I hope you can feel the love!
Stay tuned for more tales!
PS ~ Sunday Sunrise is the previous post
Calf cuddling with a mom
Calf loving on mom with split dorsal fin
calf playing with mom
Fish Fly- The fish were flying all around as the dolphin zipped by. A few were hitting me in the back as these flew by in front of me.
Dig Deep to know your truth
Another springtime sunrise with a cool salty breeze blowing as the sun came up to greet the day. Surfers were coming from every direction to enjoy the perfect waves rolling toward shore.
The shrimp boat and surfer bring us the message of perspective. Sometimes all we have to do is shift the angle to see things in a new light.
The flock of seagulls flew in hot and chatty today. They were extra frisky, playing in the water as the waves rolled in. They always seem to be able to express themselves with passion.
On the way off the beach I heard a rustling in the bushes. My first thought was it was a snake but much to my surprise it was an armadillo. With her strong exterior, she brings a similar message to the turtle from yesterday.
She peeked out of the bush to bring us the message of discernment. “You see there are times to put your guard up and other times to let yourself be vulnerable. Trust yourself to know which route to go.”
She went on to say, “I am a digger. I dig up dirt and roots to find snacks. I’m here to encourage digging deep to know your truth. Seek the answers within in order to find your way forward. My nose is very sensitive and brings me loads of information. If you are uncertain of the direction to go, use your sensitivities to feel your way. I know you will find your way."
Wishing you a groovy day friends!
Getting squeaky clean with friends
Armadillo
Being scared is normal. Rest in a safe place and breathe
Another sweet and salty sunrise bringing us a new day. Pink and bluesy clouds floating along the sky courtesy of the breeze. Perfect waves catching the light rolled toward shore calling all surfers to come play.
The flock of seagulls came in for bath time and connection. They said, “We love to put our wings in air and celebrate being bug free, because that means we are healthy. We recommend letting go of bugs each day, trust us, it will boost your immune system.”
A box turtle was on the sidewalk as I left the beach. She said, “The dogs barking near me and the camera were a bit frightening. I’m here to remind you It’s normal to feel scared at times. I encourage taking a few minutes in a safe place to breathe.”
“When you feel better you can come out and play again. Be gentle with yourself along the way. Not to worry about your pace, what is meant for you will never pass you by.”
Wishing you a lovely day friends!
Embody peace
Mother Nature was feeling romantic showing off her pink color palette this morning. Sweet pink dust swirled in the sky at first light.
The breeze was light creating beautiful texture on the waves as they rolled toward shore.
The flock of seagulls flew in at their usual time for breakfast and bath time. Despite looking a little ragged they had their wing and herts open ready for a new day.
A sand dollar was at the waters edge bringing us the message of peace, strength and goodwill.
The sand dollar said “I have an external shell for protection, inside of me there there are 5 doves. I bring the message of embodying peace and goodwill. Sure life can be a bit rough which is why I have a hard shell for protection but inside I am love and peace.”
Wishing you a peaceful day friends!
Wings back, hearts open
Pelican Highway
Kisses
Tales from Pip the Pelican ~ Episode- How I got my Nickname Puppy
Tales from Pip the Pelican - Episode- How I Got My Nickname~ Puppy
Hi Everyone! It’s me Pip the Pelican. You may know me as Pippa, Pipster, Pip, Pippaloo and as of late, Puppy. You see I’m an immature pelican which means I’m young. I’m not sure how old I am maybe a year old. I’m smart but for some reason my parents didn’t teach me much about being a bird, so I'm still learning.
Shelley calls me Puppy because I like to put everything in my pouch like a puppy dog. The other day it was raining while Shelley and I were hanging with the dolphins. I played with a leaf for a long while, I learned how to do that from the dolphins. Then tried to eat the mangroves, those things are hard to eat.
I also enjoyed relaxing with my favorite upward dog pose before a bath. I figured I was already getting wet in the rain why not get the bugs off with some serious splashing.
Sometimes I can get into trouble though. The other day I saw what looked like a fish on the sandy bottom but it was a rubbery fishing lure. I tried to eat and would have if Shelley didn’t scream at me. No Puppy, NO! Drop it! Geez! She can be so loud.
Oh and then the day I accidentally put a mature pelicans beak in my gullet. Poor guy was upside down thrashing and I didn’t know what to do. Eventually our beaks got untangled but it was a bit scary. He was kinda mad at me after that.
Today I spent 30 minutes playing with a palm frond. I have never seen one of those before. It was just floating by so I put it in my gullet over and over. I pulled on the leaves and when I got one free I tried to eat it but it tasted bad so I spit it out.
Shelley was there, so she talked to be about nesting and how to use leaves, sticks and grass to build a nest when the time comes for dating. I’m not quite ready dating, which my bird friends call mating. I hear them talking about it but I don’t really understand it all just yet.
I’m still happy to be in the puppy stage where I want to touch and taste everything. Let’s hope I know what to eat and what to spit out.
Stay tuned for more tales!
That’s me tossing around plastic. The good news is I didn’t eat it. :)
Playing with a leaf in the rain
Upward dog in the rain while watching the dolphins
Palm fronds don’t taste very good but fun to play with
And pull
Ooopsie, I have that pelicans beak in my gullet, he's upside down and can't breathe and I don't know what to do.
One step at a time, the road will become less rocky
Wow! It was a stunner of a sunrise with a merging of pastel colors to give us a heart opening sunrise. The ocean was calm except for perfect waves rolling in. Pelican Highway was enjoying riding the waves southbound as the sun came up.
When I came out of the water from playing in the waves, the refection of the sunrise was awe inspiring. The clouds, lighting and wet sand created a masterful painting.
The flock of seagulls flew in before the sunrise ready for bath time and connection. A reddish egret also flew in, curious about the flock of seagulls. She said, “I’m a pretty bird who brings the message of exploring your surroundings. Use your curiosity to open new doors. Oh, and I like to dance when I’m feeding encouraging you to dance like no-one is looking.”
On the way off the beach I ran into a turtle who said, “If your road has been rocky, just keep stepping forward, not to worry, the path will eventually become smooth.”
Wishing you a groovy day friends!
reddish egret
The path eventually becomes less rocky
Tales from the lagoon -Episode - Introducing a new baby dolphin
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Introducing Pax a New Baby!
Yesterday after sunrise, a maternity pod came into the lagoon with a new baby! The baby was dark in color with visible fetal bands (stripes). Fetal bands come from being scrunched up in the mother’s womb. Fetal bands and the dark color slough off after multiple weeks.
A baby dolphin swims in a position next to its mother called the echelon position. The baby swims in this position to catch mom’s slipstream, allowing the calf to work less hard in order to keep up with its mother.
Babies learn to echolocate over time. This is why they are accompanied by a pod of dolphins. It’s similar to chasing after a toddler who wants to touch everything, the adults keep the baby from getting into trouble as they learn.
This baby is super sweet and calm so I’ve named this baby Pax, which mean peace. The momma is Dailia meaning destiny or a strong branch.
The amazing group of ladies at Hubbs Seaward who monitor all the dolphin in the lagoon said this is the 5th baby for this momma, so I thought she literally is a strong branch in the dolphin community.
Please check out HUBBS on social media or at the website. They work tirelessly to rescue injured dolphins and monitor the health of 1100 dolphin in the Indian River Lagoon. https://hswri.org
Stay tuned for more tales!
You can see the fetal bands on the baby in this photo.
Pop goes the baby
Love
Baby fluke (tail)
I’m coming momma
Be open to hopping in a new direction
A calm and still start to the day with the absence of a breeze and calm ocean. Perfect surf waves began to take shape as the sun came up to greet the day.
On the way to the beach I ran into Prince Charming who was in the form of a toad ,puckered up, ready to smooch.
He said, “I’m here to bring the message of fertility, transformation and rebirth. Because we are fertile we bring the message of diving into your creativity to birth your heart’s true desire. You may find a change is necessary along the way, we encourage being open to hopping in new directions if necessary.”
On the way off the beach a mockingbird and dove were hanging out together next to a stop sign. They said in unison, “Stop. We are here to remind you to sing from your heart. Inner peace comes with finding your unique song.”
“We highly recommend tapping into your intuition. As you open to your intuition you can receive divine guidance which helps to feel peace in the chaos. Trust yourself to soar!”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Smooch?
Mockingbird and a dove saying, “Stop, find your unique song to feel peaceful.”
Sweet Soul
Climb over obstacles with patience
Mother Nature brought use simple but powerful sunrise to start the day. With a light breeze and soft colors the morning felt sweet and serene. The flock of seagulls flew in early to enjoy the pre sunrise glow.
As the sun came up for about 30 seconds, people were visible in the glow of the sun. They remind us we are supported, always.
A sand piper and snail bring us the rest of the message. The snail said, “No matter how large the obstacles feel, you can climb over them with patience and perseverance. I recommend using all your senses to feel your way, relax and take your time.”
A sandpiper added, “One step at a time, fall deeper in love with yourself. I find it makes the journey sweeter.”
Wishing you a day filled with love!
People in the glow under the sun
Play shifts your mood and energy
The absence of a breeze and low tide brought us a serene and peaceful start to the day. The flock of seagulls and a few sandwich terns flew in to enjoy the sunrise and a little bath time. Mother Nature showed off her creativity with magnificent cloud art lining the horizon.
We have 3 messengers who came together to bring us a message of joy, fertility and transparency. An osprey flying over head said, “I encourage being transparent for clear communication. Sure it can feel vulnerable but the results bring a deeper connection which fills the heart.”
A dolphin grabbing snacks was engaging and playful reminding us of the power of play. “Taking a couple minutes to play each day can shift your mood and energy. Play helps us feel less bogged down with life’s details.”
A bunny was blending in with the landscaping as I walked home. She said, “I’m here to encourage creativity and fertility. You have all you need to birth your heart’s desires. Keep on hopping forward, you got this.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Soak up love and light
A cool breeze was gently blowing this morning as my feet hit the sand. Low tide brought us a reflective sunrise adding to the beauty of the morning. A small flock of seagulls flew in to say hello and grab a quick bath.
One of the seagulls said, “Take a moment to hang in place, taking in everything thing around you. Let your wings stay open while you soak up the love and light.”
An egret hunting for breakfast reminds us to keep the focus. He said, “Stay the course, don’t let distractions deter you from your goals. As you rest into the moment, you can be ready for action when the timing is right.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
TGIF And Rainy day Turtle photos
We are having a gray start to the day with possible rain this weekend so thought I'd share Momma turtle. This was one of the most powerful experiences I have had with my camera.
She was a majestic, powerful and beautiful Being. When we made eye contact I felt overwhelmed with love. Meeting her was truly an honor.
The dolphin photos are from my TGIF post, sharing some fun for the weekend. This dolphin is Maximus who recovered from a pretty large shark bite.
Wishing you a day filled with sweet connections.
Loosen your grip to feel more steady
Wow! Mother Nature started with a pre sunrise color blast to take your breath away. An intense pink filled the sky 40 minutes before the sun came up to greet the day. When the sun came up the color show turned to a copper glow.
Pelican Highway traffic was jamming southbound stopping often to grab snacks at all the rest stops. A small flock of seagulls showed up for a few minutes before moving on.
Our messenger today is Spot the egret, named by Pip the Pelican for the 3 spots on his toes. Spot was hanging out on the mangroves with a loose grip on the branch.
He said, “I’m here to encourage loosening your grip. Us egrets know we can feel more stable and secure on a skinny branch if we don’t hold on too tight.”
“Here is my secret, take a deep breath, relax your wings, then loosen your grip. Ah, that's it! Your body will appreciate releasing the tension. Trust yourself, you go this!”
Have a beautiful day friends!
Open hearts are contagious, Inspire others with yours
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood. The morning started with huge fluffy gray clouds with a hint of pink. As the sun came ups golden, orange glow jetting into the sky causing the gray to dissipate.
The flock of seagulls is still here, chatty and super cute. A few of them lifted up with their wings and hearts open saying, “Even when things feel gray, we recommend keeping your wings open. Open hearts are contagious, you can inspire others with your oepn heart by spreading your wings.”
I was surprised to see a couple skimmers and a royal tern too! One of the skimmers seemed to be smitten with a seagull. They spent a lot of time together just looking at each other.
They said,”We bring the message of embracing our differences. We know the power of expressing love with words and also with our eyes. Let your eyes share your love.”
Wishing you a beautiful ay filled with love.
Staying open even when things seem grey
Open hearts and wings inspiring others
I love you. (Seagull and a skimmer)
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode- Tales from Pip the Pelican
Tales from the Lagoon ~ Episode - Tales from Pip the Pelican
Reacap of previous episodes:
March 23 I was on the beach with a filleted sheepshead stuck in my gullet. 3 Hoomans rescued me from the beach and took the fish out. It took 7 days for me to fly again. Lucky for me the hoomans took care of me since the hospital was closed. I did pretty good until May 9th. I was sick again and alI I could do was sit on the beach and poop.
Shelley found a place in S.t Augustine for me. They took good care of me, but I was homesick. So when I was free, on May 18th, I flew 75 miles to get home. I was pooped and rested for a week.
Latest Update:
Since returning home, I’ve had a big 8 days since I spoke with you last. A bird lady looked at my hurt left leg and told me I had an “Impact Injury.” When she touched my leg it felt like I had bubbles in in it, which felt really weird. She said I probably landed wrong and I should rest. I followed doctors order and I rested 5-6 hours a day on my pole for 4 days.
The rest did me a world of good because I had my best week since the pokey fish ordeal!
I have so many things to tell you!
I recently started to spend more time with my bird friends. Mikey the great egret, spot the little egret and Violet my pelican friend. Well, actually Violet is older, a mature female and has a little crush on me. She’s a pretty bird, fierce and strong, and pretty, did I mention that? Spot has 3 dots on 3 toes that’s how I came up with his name.
Violet said she thinks I’m handsome and wants to date me. Shelley said, “Dating in the bird world is called mating.” She said she would explain that to me when I am a little older. Guess because I’m still immature and all. Shelley calls me a puppy. I don’t know what all that means but Violet is very nice to me and we enjoy our time together. She’s pretty.
Lots of Hoomans know me now. I have several names; Pippa, Pipster, Pip, Pippin, Puppy and Nugget.
I’m feeling stronger and don’t have to spend as much time on my pole. After sunrise I visit Shelley for a few minutes to let her know I am ok. I sleep in different places at night with my pelican friends. Then in the afternoon I visit again and hang out with the other pelicans and dolphins in the lagoon, enjoying time with my hooman bestie.
I have a tiny new boo boo on my beak but it’s healing too! Shelley said, ‘You’re a good healer!”
On May 31, after sunrise Shelley saw me diving with other pelicans for the first time since before the pokey fish! I was across the river with friends diving when I heard Shelley cheer. This was exciting for both of us!
I’m also taking time to bathe and get the bugs off. Oh, how nice it is to have the energy to flap around in the warm water and rub my head with my wings. Ahhh, be gone bugs! You see, if a bird has bugs that means we don’t feel good. So for me to be bug free is another great sign of my progress.
Stay tuned for more Tales from Pip!
PS~ If you haven't seen my debut video....it's me and my hooman and our dolphin friends.
Giving my heart melting look
Here I come! Landing just after sunrise
Check out my wake.
That’s me! Diving!!
And taking off, you can see my little boo boo on my beak. Not to worry, I’m healing up nicely.
Getting squeaky clean
I’m. on the left, with Violet on the right. :). She’s a pretty gurl
Be present and dive in!
A lovely golden pink hue filled the sky before sunrise. The light and ocean water came together to create artful textures on the sand. A cloud shaped flying Aladdin on the horizon was warming his belly with the sun as it came up to greet the day.
With whipping wind the wildlife were feeling extra frisky. The flock was already at the spot when I reached the water. We have a theme of action today from all the wildlife.
The seagulls and pelicans were rapid fire diving for snacks. They bring the message of taking action. They said, “Go ahead dive in! Take a deep breath and leap. It’s ok if you don’t catch your goal, the act of diving in all part of the journey.”
After sunrise, an adorable bunny was snacking on wild flowers. She was very sweet and stayed for a long while to chat and pose for a few photos. She said, “I’m very sensitive to my surroundings which helps me know when to hop along. I’m here to remind you to be present in the moment so you are ready to take action.”
“I’m also the messenger of fertility and abundance. Now is the time embraces any gifts of fertility, desire, and creativity. Go ahead, explore your heart’s desire for creativity and see what unfolds.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Seagull diving in
Chatty flock
pelican sushi rave
Wild flowers for breakfast.
Tales from the lagoon ~Momma Jade and the pelican Flock
Tales from the lagoon ~ Episode- Momma Jade the Dolphin And the Pelicans
Momma Jade is one of the dolphins I have spent the most time with over the past 4 years. She is very sweet with her babies. I have watched her for countless hours teach her kiddos with love and patience. She is very affectionate always giving kisses and hugs to her kids. She is an amazing fisher girl too.
Lately she has been having a lot of fun with the pelicans. And there have been a lot of them! The flock comes in to chase the fish getting away from the dolphins. Often there is a bird pile up as Jade comes up with a fish. Sometimes she will toss a fish into the flock and see what happens, other days she wants the fish all to herself.
She never seems to be annoyed with the pelicans in her face. Just like with her kiddos, she is patient and goes with the flow. She shows the kids how to engage with the birds too, so they have the information on to handle the long beaks without getting injured.
Stay tuned for more tales!
Pelican Pile up
Momma Jade and her youngin’ Topaz (Taz) teasing the pelicans
Incoming Flock of Pelicans
Up periscope
A small shift can bring unexpected clarity
The star of the sunrise this morning was the amazing cloud art. Several clouds looked like jellyfish in the sky as they floated slowly across the horizon. Before the sunrise the refections and soft colors were breathtaking.
The seagulls were extra cute this morning as we bathed in a tide pool. They were kissing and getting squeaky clean. They said, “Seagulls in general bring the message of looking at like through a different perspective. Just the slightest change in your view can give you an unexpected clarity.”
They went on to say, “If you feel confused, take a few minutes to get the bugs and stress off. Then you will feel lighter and able to spread your wings showing your amazing beauty!”
Wishing you a groovy day friends!
Gratitude makes a heart happy
As I walked to the beach I felt pockets of cool air until my feet hit the sand and warm salty air filled my lungs. The sand felt grounding under my feet. The beautiful colors reflected on the wet sand giving us a mirror image of the morning.
The flock of seagulls flew in loud and chatty to enjoy bath time in a tide pool. When the sun came up it looked like a pumpkin with a stem.
After sunrise a couple dolphin stopped in for a quick snack bringing us the message of community, gratitude and play. They said, “We know the power of coming together to reach a goal. Collaboration is a fun way to thrive while feeling supported.”
“We also recommend gratitude as a way to have a happy heart. We are grateful for Beings who came before us and surround us who created pathways for us to have the life we have.”
Wishing you a beautiful day friends!
Regroup to flourish
Mother Nature brought us a very sweet sunrise with soft colors and silver light sparkling on the calm ocean. With the absence of a breeze the nostrums and mosquitos were giving free acupuncture treatments.
The waves were rolling in perfectly catching the subtle light. The sun used a hole in the clouds to stream and single beam of light through filling the air with a hopeful vibe.
After sunrise, much to my surprise, an anhinga was hanging out at the lagoon. She was both shy and chatty. After swimming around looking for snacks she spent time drying off with her wings open.
She said, “I bring the message of holding your head above water. I am a reminder that persistence and patience is my recipe for reaching my goals. I take time out to rest and regroup so I can flourish in any situation. I recommend utilizing all your resources to actualize your dreams.”
Wishing you beautiful day friends!
Anhinga
