Dolphin Watch

Back in February, we signed up for a dolphin watch tour. The tour operator was located on South Padre Island just after the bridge.

On this very windy day, most operators were not sending boats out but ours were still in operation.

We got seats at the back on the second story deck. Great for picture taking but open to the elements. Needless to say that most sported a different hairstyle after a while!

And we're off!

The first part of the tour is an eco-tour where they drag a net on the bottom of the bay and then show us what they caught. We saw creatures we had never seen before like crabs that didn't look like crabs at all. We also got to see a puffer fish blow himself into a little round football when the handler held him in his hand. As they get bigger, their skin tightens on them which makes little spikes stand up which becomes uncomfortable for a fish trying to eat them so they'll get spitted out. Brilliant!

Bringing the net in.

Look at the blue eye!

All puffed up!

A starfish. If they lose a "leg" from being attacked, the leg regrows. Neat!

We then moved out of the bay to try to spot some dolphins. Some came quite close to the boat and we did see more at a distance but it's so hard to get a picture as they appear only briefly to then plunge back into the water. So my pictures are pityful.

A dolphin fin. That's all I've got!

It was interesting to see the shore from a different perspective. We discovered a few things.

This large zeppelin is actually a radar to watch over the border from Mexico.
It was too windy to fly it. It normally floats above tethered. 

A different view of the bridge.

South Padre Island.

Shrimp fishing boat.

Some gulls kept following the boat and they seem to just float for a while and then they would tilt their wings and let the wind sweep them away.

Beautiful shots of the gulls flying taken by Glen

After 3 hours at sea, we returned to shore.

Since we were on the island, we decided to go for a walk on the boardwalk by the convention center. This is open to the public and is free. It is right beside the bird center so we get to see many of the same birds but the bird center offers a much better view and longer walk.

Roseate Spoonbill resting

Black Skimmer. Their lower mandibule is longer than the top
and they catch fish by skimming the water with their beak open.

Northern Pintail looking cute.

Reddish Egret looking like a model on the runway.

A young Little Blue Heron not finished with the transistion of
colour from white (juvenile) to blue.

Black Skimmers

Lesser Yellowlegs

I always enjoy our time on the island. There is a different vibe there. I seem to relax.

On another visit to the island, we decided to go further than our usual beach stop and went right to the end of the road. There is so much sand there that the road has to be plowed regularly. We saw where you can actually drive on the beach (4 X 4 a must!). Some people even drive their travel trailer on there for a stay right by the ocean. It's a dream of mine but Glen is totally against it so I'm not going to push it. It would be my luck that we would get stuck and I would never hear the end of it!

Willet

Look at those sand banks!

That's our truck.

End of the road.

There is the zeppelin flying.