We have been in Marathon
for over a month, but the time seems to have flown by. Mooring field neighbors observe that we are
never on the boat. With great biking and
accessible beaches during the day and a remarkable music scene during the
evenings, it is probably an accurate observation. And we are enjoying a
tropical climate that propagates a remarkable variety of wildlife. Pelicans amuse us with their antics,
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| Pelicans with interesting reflections in the water |
and Ibis
graze in the nearby park. Iguanas are proliferating everywhere, to the point
there is actually an eradication program to downsize the population. Dolphins swim in our bow wakes, and the canal
into the mooring field dinghy dock has become home to a mother and baby
manatee.
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| The mother and baby manatees hanging out near the fresh water hose |
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| Some say manatees are beautiful, but I think interesting is a better description of these docile mammals |
The high point of our stay in
Marathon is the visit of both of our sons and
their families. We found a rental house
within dinghy and biking distance of our boat, so accommodations are nothing
but plush for our guests. With a pool in the back yard, there is plenty of
splashing for both young and old. Baby Isabella took her first swim with a
little apprehension at first.
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| Isabella seems a little unsure of herself the first day in the pool. |
We spent several days with the entire crew
sailing the boat, either within Hawk Channel or out to the reef for some
snorkeling and swimming,
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| Everyone got into swimming and snorkeling at the reef although, if there was an audio feed, you would see that Isabella DID NOT LIKE HER LIFEJACKET!!! |
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| But playing in the cockpit while under sail was a totally different experience |
and we enjoyed playing in the sand at beaches near the
rental house or at Bahia Honda, a state park on the other end of the Seven Mile
Bridge. We even hauled everyone down to Key
West for some touring and sunset at Mallory Square with its plethora of
street performers.
The highlight of the family’s visit was a day spent at the Dolphin Research Center. This is a small, low-key research facility
just outside Marathon and is nothing like
amusement parks such as Sea World. The
dolphins (and some seals) are kept in natural pens that are part of Florida Bay.
The few visitors are free to walk between all the pens. At times, trainers are working with some of the
dolphins
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| Several trainers are working simultaneously in one pool |
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| The affection between trainer and trainee is readily apparent |
while elsewhere guests have opportunities to interact with the dolphins,
and in still other areas, researchers are studying dolphin communication and
social development. The staff is very friendly and willingly takes time to
describe what they are doing and answer any questions. During our visit
grandsons Will and Daniel and their Dad took part in a 45 minute session titled
“Play with the Dolphins” where they had the opportunity touch a dolphin, give
it commands to do certain behaviors, and play “retrieve” with several of the
dolphins. At the end, the dolphins
brought each child a gift of a pebble and a mangrove leaf.
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| Everyone gets a chance to pet a dolphin |
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| Will's smile is proof that this was a very special day |
While many believe these behaviors are just a
result of a reward system, in reality, many of the dolphins don’t even want
their food rewards; rather, they are truly playful animals and enjoy
interacting with humans. But for me, the special moments were sitting quietly
by one of the pools and having one or more dolphins actually seek me out. They
will vocalize to the point of engaging you in a conversation. Their
intelligence and social skills make dolphins exceptionally interesting animals,
and the experience leaves us appreciating even more our encounters with them in
the wild.
So…the family has left, the boat has been reprovisioned, and
we are saying our “goodbyes” to our many cruising friends who will spend their
entire winter here in Marathon. It is
difficult to leave such a delightful harbor, but it appears we will have a nice
weather window to depart for the Bahamas, and a good weather window
is just something you don’t pass up.
