Dolphin Address 13
October 26th 2007
Yesterday was sunny. It had been calm weather for over a week, so the water could be expected to be reasonably clear. Moreover Dusty swam at the caves again regularly and there the sand lies 10 metre or deeper and is the water considerably less disturbed than at the surface. But because today it is full moon there was a bit of a swell. The vizz was indeed reasonable and I got some nice cuddles of Dusty and Ute on video, but also some frightening images of the injuries sustained on Dusty’s peduncle and fluke. These were inflicted about two weeks ago. It could have been the propeller of a boat, but than a pattern should be discernable, like sometimes can be seen on manatees. Also she could have been thrown on the rocks by heavy waves, but that does not seem likely either. She does come pretty close and I have a video taken at Pollenawatch where she nearly beaches herself on the ‘pondrock’, but she is to ‘streetwise’ for such mishap. At first parasites have been spotted on her wounds that looked like mini sea cucumbers, two to three cm long. Now the wounds were white, as if plastered.
Today, as was commonly agreed upon, was going to be the last good weather day, because after full moon it usually abruptly changes. It did not look like that at all, when I woke up this morning on the small parking place closest to Dusty, hereafter named ‘Broken Knee’. The day seemed grey and dead.
So first for a coffee at the filling station and then up to White Strand to a commanding place in the parking lot to have breakfast, a shave to keep my diving mask from leaking and keep an eye out for Dusty, should she decide to pop up here.
When it began to brighten up in the west, I changed at ‘Broken Knee’ so I had less stuff to drag along, and I would not have to get dressed again in the rain, which, as is well known by now, makes me feel sad.
The water heaved foaming on the rocks and the caves swallowed the waves in full draught.
To go into the water was not too hard. The same seat as yesterday was hardly overflowing. A bit up, on a natural console, I could hang the wing, while I put on the monofin. Essential is that while putting it on you’ve got to take care that it does not get across the waves as they push and pull you beyond control.
Then you hop off your buttocks and swim a few strokes out for safety. I did not regret leaving the camera behind as the vizz had worsened considerably. I could hardly see the mono on my feet. I circled out for about 2 km and had she been around she would surely have come. She did not.
I had mentally prepared myself for the exit and also asked someone on the edge to take hold of the WaterWing so I had full use of my hands and the wing would not get damaged. The difference in surge was about one and a half metre. As I have mentioned before from the shore you judge the height of the waves after the length of your body, but in the water after the height of your head.
I took off the heel strap of one foot so I could still manoeuvre with the mono, but if need be, release that foot, as them being tied together is pretty awkward when you’re washed up and down the rocks. The being washed up is not that hard, but the relapse is so strong that you really need something to hang on to for not to be sucked back. If you do this with bare hands you risk having the skin ripped of by the barnacles, hence my gloves. Moreover I know a spot where the water first washes over a smaller bulge, than goes through a dip and next surges up further yet. And you already were so tired of the swimming and the effect of being weightless.
To cut it short, it was a textbook exit. Still one more advice: Don’t try this at home.
Jan Ploeg, Meadow Fanore, October 26th 2007
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