Frigate birds, and manatees, and dolphins, OH MY!!

But I'll get to all of those sightings.  First, an update on our last few days.  We left Fort Myers Beach on  Thursday to return to Cayo Costa with Sam.  The trip here was uneventful, and we managed to tuck ourselves into a lovely little cove on the south end of Punta Blanca Island.  There is room here for a couple of boats, and as the only ones in here we were able to pick our spot.  It is fully sheltered from the winds, and surrounded by ospreys, pelicans, and herons.

I was alone on the aft deck, watching the sun go down and enjoying the peace and quiet, when I heard a sound so quintessentially Canadian I wasn't sure, for just a moment, exactly where I was.  Once, twice, three times - the mournful call of a loon very nearby transported me to Georgian Bay, and I realized how much I have missed being there for the past couple of summers.  But we'll rectify that this year, and spend the entire summer - not just weekends - in all those places we love.

Yesterday, Sam and I left Michael working on some chores while we went to the beach.  It was a bit windy, and I was covered in sand by the time we left.  Even the fresh water showers at the beach didn't manage to wash it all off.

We're having a great time with Sam, and I think she is getting the R&R she was looking for.  Today was even windier than yesterday, and trips outside of our little cove in the dinghy were not much fun.  So we lazed around, each of us doing our own thing.  By about 4pm, we decided it was cocktail time - mojitos today, courtesy of Sam.  As we sat on the bridge, enjoying the late afternoon sun along with the mojitos, we watched the ospreys catching and eating their dinners, and cormorants juggling their catch to get it the right way 'round for swallowing.

Then I spotted a very unusual shape soaring high above - sharp edged wings, and a very long tail...a frigate bird  and the first sighting for us.  Then there was something in the water, not far off our starboard.  I stood up for a better look, and shouted "Manatee!!!" which sent Michael and Sam dashing off for cameras.

Manatees are very shy, and really only have to get the end of their snout out of the water to breathe.  Getting pictures is very difficult, and all we have to show for the experience is this shot of some disturbed water - and our own memories, of course.

As we stood watching for additional sightings of the manatee, two dolphins appeared in our little cove, swimming slowly around the area where the manatee had been.  No big jumps, no show off moves, just a gentle cruise around the area.

After the sun went down, we continued to hear the occasional exhale (dolphin or manatee, we don't know) in the darkness around the boat.

What a great day for all of us!