Counting Dolpins

Well today was the big day. The annual Dolpin count. All along the Virginia coast the Dolpins were counted. I was part of a team that counted from the North end of Hog Island to the North end of Wreck Island. The weather was perfect. 75F, wind 5Kt, overcast, and seas @1ft or less. Our track took us 25 miles south of Wachapreague Va., .5 miles off shore, and back. Now it may sound easy counting Dolpins but it does take some practice since they don’t all surface at once. AND the sound of a boat motor can spook them so the three of us had to count a pod 5 or six times and then agree on a number. Some of the pods were really separated adding a new challenge. And of course they have a habit of swimming in circles causing you to count the same ones over. Our final count was 66. Our largest pod was 16.

So what is a Dolpin really????? Well at first we thought we would find them in a bowling alley. Something like the head pin, the 10 pin. We also researched the possibility that it had something to do with VooDoo dolls.

But no it turned out to be a slight misspelling of Dolphin that escaped the attention of the staff of the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Center,,,,, until the shirts came back from the printer…..

This may well become a collectors item and Beatrice and i can retire on the profits!!!!!!