Iguanas

Hi All,
This is the third, windy cold day and I'm pacing the beach! I realize whining won't get much sympathy with Boston getting a record 92" of snow!
There was some interest in seeing Rex and his girls so I have included Rex who is the bigger iguana with the dinosaur like mane and one of his girls. I also included an Iguana war between two males from a few years back.

Sunset Cruise With JoJo

Hi All,
A front has been moving through for the past few days, dumping lots of rain on the islands. We tried going out one day but after bouncing all over on Grace Bay opted for the channels. I had packed a small lunch for the iguanas figuring we might end up there. I added bread sticks to their usual raisin rations. As we approach their beach the male who I've named Rex (tyrannosaurus) came running down (JoJo isn't the only one who knows our boat!) soon the female pops out of the low scrub brush and runs our way. Their short little legs paddle out to the side as they come running. They start gobbling up the raisins as I toss them up on the shore Soon another female who we hadn't seen comes down. This doesn't set well with the first female. She tries to run her off but she lingers on the out skirts hoping I might fling a raison within her reach. I break up the bread sticks to see how they's go over. Rex without hesitation grabs one holding it like a dog with a bone and crunches it up. We end the afternoon with a nice long snorkel. The tide is going out which produces a strong current through the channel. This makes for a strenuous swim away from the boat and a fast easy swim back. The closer you get to the mangroves the more fish you can see darting in and out of the mangrove roots.
The following day we bring out Lucy who has joined us from London. She is a grad student working on acoustics with marine mammals. She is hoping to match up noises with behavior. I'm looking forward to hearing more noises that the dolphins are making. It is grey everywhere with many clouds producing yet more rain! The good part is she needed some time to get set up with her equipment. We eventually come in because it is raining everywhere. However, as soon as we get to the condo the sun comes out (typical) and John and I head right back to the marina. Lucy stays back to fix the calibration of her hydrophone.

We find JoJo almost at the end of Pine Cay. He heads right to our boat and goes directly to the back. It couldn't have been more obvious that he wanted a ride if he'd put his thumb out! It's now about 3 in the afternoon. We head to the end of Pine Cay then past Fort George, Dellis Cay, Parrot Cay and start heading down North Caicos. It has occurred to me that he just wants the company of our boat sort of like traveling along with a big dolphin. As we head along North Caicos, it is very shallow and there are treacherous coral heads just under the surface. The sun is dropping in the sky which will make it very hard to get back due to the glare. Finally John (the voice of reason ) says we must turn back even though we are dying to know if JoJo is touring or has a meeting planned. I always hate to leave him. I prefer he leaves us but I'd rather not spend the night stuck somewhere in the shallow water! We turn around and start picking our way back through the coral heads. I stand on the bow directing as best I can. JoJo turns around as well! He stays right with us. I think my first theory that he feels safe in the company of our boat. So besides using only half the energy to travel, he gets to cruise his watery home with company. He stays with us all the way into the mouth of leeward before branching off. It is now dark as we make our way into the marina.

Gotta See This

Hi All,
JoJo seems to be back to normal between swimming with friends and taking a ride with us from one end of the island to the other and back!
Bev from Pine Cay sent me this wonderful tube of friendship between species and JoJo and Toffee were in it. Toffee lived on Pine Cay years ago and was friends with JoJo. Each day JoJo would come to visit and they would play and swim together.
enjoy!https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vnVuqfXohxc
Jay

What A Welcome!!!!

Hi All,
 We sat in the plane waiting to be de-iced as the minutes ticked by. We are now one hour late getting off the ground, soon our next flight will be loading and we are still on the runway in Boston (the wrong runway!) John calls his travel agent who is amazing. By the time we get to NY, our missed plane is on it's way to Turks and we are re-booked on another airline. Valerie from Wayland Travel in MA has saved the day again. Had she not helped, we'd be spending the pm in NY. Who says travel agents are dinosaurs!!!
As we head out of Leeward, I have visions of healthy JoJo, breaching whales and Tropic Birds whirling around my head. Some friends from home are with us. I give them the "you might not see anything talk" as they slather sun tan lotion on their ever so white bodies. They say brilliant sun, twinkling water, 82 degrees how can they go wrong!
JoJo appears in minutes. He swims to our boat, I get in to access his gash and am happy to see it is clean all the fibrin connective tissue (white stuff). His pecs however, have fresh scrapes. I  have no any idea how that could have happened. Getting old isn't easy for any of us!
JoJo visits a few boats then wants to travel past Turtle Cove then back to Pine Cay. As always we, oblige. He branches as we get part way down Pine Cay. As I'm getting in the water John sees another dorsal.  I get into to have Lemon Lips give me the best greeting! He looks at me swims around me then rubs up to JoJo. They are so happy to see each other. There is a lot of activity, I see JoJo stroking Lemon Lips on his melon as Lemon Lips swims along behind him. Suddenly there are more dolphins - not one, but two arrive. I see White Tip. They are all so rambunctious. The water is murky making filming hard. I get in the boat and watch great dolphin play. The fourth dolphin has a distinctive dorsal.  It has a notch out of it like JoJo's but way bigger. I'm going to call this dolphin Jagger. I think I've seen the dorsal before and will now recognize it when I see it again. It seems JoJo and White Tip are pairing up and Lemon Lips and Jagger are doing most of the acrobatics - leaping, swimming upside down, diving and circling. The action is fast and furious!!

We were with JoJo from 8 AM to 2:30 PM. We leave to let JoJo enjoy his friends. Now I feel JoJo is really back to normal. He's with his friends. I don't know what's up with his pecs but he seems perfectly able to behave normally. I hope you enjoy the footage you can really see the difference in the water from video to video.

Ralston's story for news channel 4

HiAll,
Ralston did a great job! I hope you watch it!
Jay

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gl23tn3l9al8o9t/3001_Jayandjojo.mp4?dl=0

Please Help show your support of Dolphins

Sea Shepherd E-News: Call to Action - Feb 13 - World Love for Dolphins Day

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Sea Shepherd USA via mymail.seashepherd.netcommunity1.com	3:39 PM (4 hours ago)
to me

Demonstrations against Taiji’s brutal dolphin hunts to take place at Japanese Embassies and Consulates view this message online Dear Jessie, On Friday, February 13, Sea Shepherd will show Japan just how much the world reveres dolphins with peaceful “World Love for Dolphins Day” demonstrations at Japanese Embassies and Consulates worldwide. For details about where demonstrations will be held around the globe, please visit our website. You can also show your support for the dolphins by taking a “selfie” picture holding your “World Love for Dolphins” Day sign and sending it to Sea Shepherd, and be sure to tell us your first name and where you are from. We will post your selfies on our social media pages to proudly display your love for dolphins! Download the "selfie" image to print out and email to worldlovefordolphins@seashepherd.org. Make sure to use the #WorldLoveForDolphinsDay hashtag when posting on social media! You can also download & print a Valentine for a dolphin and send it directly to the Embassy of Japan: Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae C/O The Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. 2520 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20008 Join Sea Shepherd supporters around the world and stand in solidarity with Sea Shepherd's Cove Guardians as we show our love for dolphins and call for an end to the brutal capture and slaughter of cetaceans in Taiji’s infamous cove. For six months of each year — from September until March — entire family units, or pods, of dolphins and small whales are driven into Taiji’s killing cove. The dolphins and whales face brutal slaughter, a lifetime in captivity, or in a drive just as stressful as the drive into the cove, remaining pod members must endure an exhausting drive back out to sea. Operation Infinite Patience aims to bring a permanent end to the drive hunts and slaughter.

Be Back Soon

Hi
I have checked again with Mark the vet. He said the gashes are healing but it will take some time before they healed. He said the salt water is the best thing and that it's a good thing he's in the ocean where if he were confined there would be a better chance for infection.
I am leaving for six days. I'm hoping to see an improvement when I return. If you see him let me know how he's doing. Remember he's not back to normal yet.

Jay