Flipper

This morning we had the joy of observing bottlenose dolphins frolic in the Atlantic Ocean. These graceful creatures break the surface of the water in a gliding motion, and then dive back down again, totally disappearing in the ocean's abyss. Every once in a while, their whole body erupts from the ocean before disappearing again.

 Dolphins are very social creatures. They travel in pods anywhere from four to 40. They communicate underwater by making sounds,  but also by slapping their tails on top of the water.  I know all this thanks to my good friend Google, and from my experience of growing up on the water in Mathews, Va. What I would love to know, which Google can't tell me, is what they were saying to each other with the tail slap.

Human slaps often mean anger, but these dolphins were rambunctious and playful.  They would leap out of the water, and just before they dove in again,  they would slap their tail flat on the water's surface. The thud could be heard from the shoreline,  and water would shoot up and cascade down again. It was almost as if they were beckoning onlookers,  "Come play with us! The water is crisp and we're having a great day!"

It never really occurred to me to add "watch dolphins slap the water with their tails" to my bucket list,  but thankfully God thought it would be a good one for today, so He added it for me. I've seen dolphins millions of times, but the joy they bring never gets old. The smell of salt air, the sound of crashing waves, the feel of sand between the toes, the peaceful wind,  and the blazing sun makes Nags Head, NC a wonder. Though it didn't make one of the top seven natural wonders of the world,  it should have. Great job, God, in creating this small slice of heaven!

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. -Genesis 1:21