Barn Owl

Hi All,
We might not have seen even one dolphin but we did see our first ever Barn Owl.
We were trying to escape some rain showers that just kept coming our way. We ended up near North Caicos and decided to motor around the marina, which is huge. There are canals that meander all through the mangroves. This marina was another Island project that never took off. There is dock space for many many boats but there are only a few boats that actually use it. I think the idea was for people to build homes along the canals and keep their boats out front.
We were poking along way back at the end of the marina and had just gone under a bridge and were flanked by mangroves on one side and a steep limestone bank on the other; when we saw this rather large Barn Owl. He was perched in a sort of cave that was made from parts of the limestone giving way leaving large indents in the bank. He flew off into another hollow then off to perch on a Casuarina tree all the while keeping an eye on us.
Apparently animals of the night like Barn Owls and bats seek refuge in these limestone caves during the day.
                               

Short Sighting

Hi All,
The last few days weren't filled with dolphins unfortunately. We saw JoJo briefly by himself. I thought maybe we'd have a great day with him but he was on a mission that didn't include me! When I got in he was echo locating. I know he's doing that by the way he swings his head from side to side. He then swam off fairly quickly and we lost sight of him.

We decided to see how the iguanas were doing. We have been feeding them raisons for years. A few days before they weren't in their usual place when I stopped off to clean their beach. So we decided to pay them another visit. This time there was a female and a male that came to greet us. They liked our raisons and managed to stuff parts of an apple in their mouths as well. Here is a video I took a few years before of an iguana war! you will see two males fighting and a short clip of a female coming to see what's up.

Later as we were motoring along I noticed a small fish with big bulging eyes chasing something as we got closer we could see a trunk fish right at the surface chasing a little crab!!

At that point we were near Turtle Cove and decided to snorkel at Smith's Reef where we saw an Eagle Ray and lots of Horse Eyed Jacks. Not as good as dolphins but still interesting!  

JoJo and The Pod

Hi All,
We found JoJo with a mom I don't know, a calf and two bigger dolphins that may be Lemon Lips and B.B.Tip. The waves were still big and the water very murky making identification hard. They seemed fine with me swimming along with them but I had a hard time seeing them even when I was right over them. John told me they all waited for me a few times but I just couldn't see them.
I'm wondering if one dolphin was Lemon Lips because there was still a slight yellow tinge to his lips! This dolphin wanted to come to me but didn't behave like Lemon Lips. Maybe because he's now a three year old he doesn't display the same behavior, circling me at speed zooming off and returning to circle me some more.
We witnessed a lot of spy hoping as we watched from the boat.  They either wanted to know whether we were still there or maybe the calf just wanted to look at us!
We were with them pretty much all day. Traveling from Grace Point to the opposite end of Pine Cay. There was one moment when the water was a bit clearer where they were all milling around me. It is worth spending all these hours following them for that one moment!
I hope today the water will settle which will help with clarity. I plan to wear my GoPro on my wrist for some filming in case the water is better and we find them.

Front Still Here

Hi All,
Apparently this front is here for the week. There were rain showers through out the day as well as fairly big waves which makes dolphin watching tricky.
We went out in the afternoon after my pacing around the condo watching the rain showers come and go. We started the search going down toward Grace Point. We noticed a kite boarder waving on the beach and after determining he wasn't doing some sort of aerobic exercise we went over to see what he wanted. His buddy had lost his kite board somewhere out there! We took him(Joe) on board and hunted around but were unable to find it. I think the seas have claimed it! After dropping him off, we continued to Grace Point but no dorsals. On the way back I spotted two dolphins way out by the reef swimming at a good clip. As we motored up we were pretty sure one was JoJo but I couldn't find him when I got in. Between the waves and the murky water I was like Mr Magoo swimming around. We saw them once again heading toward Leeward but couldn't get close. We then noticed an Osprey land in the water with a HUGE fish! He kept raising his wings out of the water to perhaps dry them a little then try to fly maybe 5 feet before the fish weighed him down and he'd plop back into the water. After many attempts he finally gave up and left the huge fish to sink into the water as he flew to shore. We were really rooting him on but couldn't think of a way to help.
We saw maybe the same two dolphins fishing a little past Leeward but it was too wavy and they were swimming too fast for any interaction. We opted for a fast trip back to the marina with another rain storm at our heels.
Even though I didn't get any good interaction, I feel I know where he's headed at least toward the end of the day and this will help with finding him again. Now I'm hoping the two young dolphins, JoJo and Raggedy Ann join up and they will

let me swim with them. JoJo has been hanging with Raggedy Ann for at least three years that I'm aware of probably much longer. She usually doesn't want to swim with me unless Bo is around. JoJo is apt to come over briefly as if to say "Hi  I know you are here but I'm busy with Raggedy Ann". The other day was an exception, when I got to swim right between her and JoJo.

Lumpy Water

Hi All,
A front moved in making the water very rough. We decided it was too rough out front and went back in the channel between Mangrove and Donna Cay to check out iguanas and do beach clean up. After spending most of the morning there we thought we'd drop off the trash and take a look out front in case it was better. As we approached Leeward two boat captains told us they'd seen dolphins out front. We took off in the direction we figured they'd be heading only to fight huge waves all the way to the end of Pine Cay and back. As we got back to Leeward I saw a dorsal. We found two young dolphins traveling together. I got in but they wouldn't let me close enough for identification. I'm thinking they might have been Lemon Lips and B.B. Tip. They would now be three years old and perhaps not with their moms. They may have also been on a mission and going back to meet their moms. In any case swimming with me wasn't in their plan!

First Trip of the Season

Hi All,
We arrive on Tues. loaded down with two huge boxes containing one new scooter, one old repaired water scooter, huge duffel bags one containing 30 JoJo books which weighed as much as a giant rock collection. The airport guys are giving us well deserved nasty looks.
We immediately start hearing JoJo rumors; no owners have seen him, he was with three others but had been hit by a boat and wasn't interested in following boats any more. He is dead!!! I am out to prove most of that wrong!!
We head down to the Cabana Bar to grab a quick meal and we see lots of other Ocean Club owners. They are talking about movies and politics and all I want to do is ask if anyone has seen JoJo and think about the next day!!!
Later Andy and Denise, a horse friend from home drop by for a quick hello. look Our condo which looks like a tsunami hit it. Andy has moved here from Canada where he drove a grey hound bus for a living. He now lives in a gorgeous house in a posh area of Provo and manages a fancy Villa as well as being the Captain of one of the nicest, if not the nicest yachts on the island. We are trying to get organized to leave at the crack of dawn (my favorite time). He tells me he saw JoJo with a mom and newborn and an older dolphin in front of Leeward just a few days ago. He also said he thought JoJo sustained a major cut from a boat and was moving slowly.
I've now been up since 4 AM waiting to get out on the boat. The marina opens at 7:30 and we are there. As usual on the island no matter how many emails one sends asking to have the boat ready and assurances that it's sitting all gassed up and waiting, we find Catch Ride sitting on its trailer no where near the water! GRRRRRRRR. Everyone hustles around (actually in the Caribbean there is no real hustling!) and we finally get out on the water. It's beautiful and quite flat.
We cruise up and down Grace Bay to the end of Pine Cay and back all day. I'm so excited to see the boat captains we have become friends with, who give us the best greetings waving their arms and shouting "Welcome back!". We are especially happy to see Reef Peeper's Captain and Ariel's Captain who have been so helpful in finding JoJo in the past. They all give us the I don't know where he is sign. We have one lead when we get a call on our radio that there is a boat traffic jam between Little Iguana Cay and Half Moon Beach. We go like the wind to get there but no dolphins.
As we  head up Pine Cay for one more look, John sees a dorsal!!!! We see two adult dolphins but they are keeping their distance. We parallel them until we get close to the sand bar in front of Fort George Cay.
One dolphin comes closer to the back of our boat and we think it's JoJo, so I get in. He comes right over and it is JoJo!! I see a new scar or two but he looks pretty good to my relief. He's very friendly and brings me to the other dolphin who was Raggedy Ann. NO WONDER they stayed far away! This time however, I swam between both dolphins. She usually doesn't do that unless Bo is around. I get to free dive and go along the bottom next to JoJo. He then wanted me to swim behind Raggedy Ann and was swimming really close behind me.
A little later they started fishing and I'd say JoJo still can move right along!! I usually stay a little distance off so as not to interfere or get run into. There was quite a bit of boat traffic and we lost sight of them as they were making their way toward Parrot Cay.
 All is right with my world, as I sigh deeply knowing my friend is okay and still accepts me into his world.

whales and dolphins

Please open this link
http://www.earth-matters.nl/11/7704/verborgen-nieuws/india-announces-dolphinarium-ban
hopefully Turks and Caicos will follow suit
Jay