Fun with Flipper

On our first full day at Florida we awoke to a sunny blue sky and temps on the rise.

We had been told that many of the companies that offer deep sea fishing tours during the day also often offered seashelling tours where they would take you to a out on their boat to an isolated beach during low tide. Because these beaches were often only accessible by boat and off the beaten path, they were also still very much in their natural state (i.e. not perfectly combed and full of large seashells and other sealife). Not only was it something different to do, but it was something little man could do with us.

After a few phone calls we found one that was set to leave late that afternoon and return at sundown. So we booked our tickets and headed south to Marco Island to meet our boat.

When we arrived at the dock little man was so excited he could barely stand it. Not only were there boats, but also huge pelicans and seagulls sitting on the railings, waiting for the fishermen to come in for the day.

We boarded the boat and headed out to an isolated beach on one of the small key islands just off of Marco.

Then, we saw something in the distance.

Something us Kansas folk aren't used to seeing in the water.

Little man's eyes widened.

"What is it daddy?" He asked.

Little man had just met his first dolphin.

There were dolphins all around us. Although they were wild dolphins, they were apparently very accustomed to boats. Not only were they not afraid of the boat, but they would surface right next to us, much to little man's excitement.

But for the fact that little man has yet to understand the large difference between wild and domesticated animals.

As the dolphins would dip back under the water, little man would often call to them, just like he does to our dog at home.

"Dawphins come BACK!" He would yell. "Come back here!"

And just like our dog at home, they would not respond.

Fortunately for us, the channel was full of dolphins. I'm not sure if little man understood that, or if he truly thought the same few dolphins kept coming back to us.

We then had to explain to him why he couldn't pet the dolphins.

That discussion, however, didn't go over very well with little man.

We finally arrived at our destination and headed out to the beach. It was just our group and three others on the entire beach. It was low tide and the beach was full of washed up sea sponges, coral, conch shells, clams, urchins, driftwood and even a few starfish and a crab. As we picked along the seashells, (careful to make sure it was just a shell and not still alive which we definitely did our share of saving more than a few conch, starfish and urchins that day), little man was content to run along the beach, splashing in the water, stopping intermittently to pick up a shell and examine it closely.

And, of course, we had to build "beautiful sandcastles."

Complete with Herb the dragon and Princess Mommy.

As the sun began to go down, we boarded the boat and headed back. Little man was once again greeted by his new-found friends, the dolphins. We had hoped to also see a manatee, but they proved to be more elusive.

A short ride later and we saw the familiar dock and it's pelicans, still holding out hope for a fisherman or two.

"Bye-bye dawphins," little man said as we got off the boat.

And with that, he turned and waved good-bye to his ocean friends.