Playful Porpoise

By William E. Males

Watching the winter cold winds blow its frosty breath across the country, it was hard to complain about our own little chilly breeze here in Florida. We still have our sunny sky and wildlife is still abundantly about.  So, getting out for a day of fishing and exploration was still a great day of fun. With so many inland sounds and bays, as well as some of the areas some locals would refer to as the backwaters, it is a very rewarding experience for those looking for a little more than just hitting the malls or watching the old TV tube.

On this part of the excursion of our canoe trip we encountered a porpoise that seemed to take some time to satisfy his own curiosity as to our purpose for being in one of his favorite feeding areas. It took us a second to get our camera ready, but he already made some playful swim bys. One pass we just managed to get on film was one where he swam by so fast he actually rocked the canoe a bit.

Over all, this porpoise seem content to stay around us for almost a whole twenty minutes as we took turns following each other. Sometimes it seems we’re paddling madly after him, while others he was criss-crossing and swimming around and under the boat. This was not our first such encounter with porpoises when kayaking or canoeing, and we certainly hope to catch more of these experiences on the camcorder. So, keep and eye out for us . . . we’ll be back!