(no subject)

[damselfish]

I went biking yesterday like I usually do-- or did, I haven't gone in about a month. In light of this, I took the easy route down to the beach.

I haven't seen a beautiful morning like that in ages; the still air promised a muggy day later, but it was too early to be punishingly hot. It was so clear and the water so calm that when I got to the parking lot by the atoll I could see the islands across the bay rather than just the buildings floating on the ocean haze. In the far distance I could see boxes over the water: cruise or cargo ships that looked more like hotels sitting on land that I knew wasn't there.

100 yards out I see a splash, too big for a fish, but certainly not a person. No people swim outside the atoll's pool, not really. They just windsurf or kayak. Not possible, I think, not wanting to get my hopes up. It's much too close to shore and I'm not really that lucky a person. I didn't think the water was deep enough, that close to the shore....

Another dolphin splashed around in the orange-gold water before darting off to join two others farther away. A small boat puttered out of their range before turning the engines back on, causing the blue-black shadows to disappear for so long that I wonder if they died of fright. The trio leaped and milled about a minute later, meandering slowly toward the marina entrance until they disappeared from sight. The handful of other people by the beach never noticed them, but they noticed me as I stood on the rocks, wishing I had brought my camera.

I see a lot of things when I go out on the bike, but dolphins were not what I expected. It was a good day. ♥