Dolphin Address 4 2003
June 20, 2003
It is far from possible to give an account of swimming with Dusty that holds water. No seldom she reflects the person she swims
with.
She too has her moods and differs from day to day. The most direct way to capture her in words is by describing her body language. A literal account of this, however, would suffocate in a profusion of directional indications. Reasoning into her motives may color soon to the palette of the writer.
Still, it is the specific interaction that fills us, ranging from contemplation to exuberance. The most striking ones are also the least comprehensible: 'Today she was more exited than I have ever seen her. She was vocalizing continually: high beeps, that seemed to come at the same time, grumpy rollers and, compared to normal, excessive echo-emission.'(my tidal notebook, e&v).
The first time I swam with her this year, she jumped out of the water completely(as a welcome?). Next she stayed at arms length and let herself be finger stroked may be three times.(apprehensive?)
Last year I tried to make an inventory of her approaching figures.
The method was to compare her with herself. The 'shoot', 'circle', 'sneak', 'stroke' en 'scort' approaches can be found in
Dolphin Address 8, 2002.
This time I want to pay more attention to what she does when she is with me. If you can't learn by the difference, it may at least help you describe events.
Usually she invites me for a dive by laying down right under me on the seabed. Sometimes it is a challenge, when she swims close before me, ever faster down. 'Yesterday each time she sped into the mist as I came down, only to shoot by again after a short curve.'(e&v). Except for longer distances, like from Pollenawatch to the Monkey Rock or back, she is with me in periods. These rather vary in time. The only thing they seem to have in common is that Dusty takes a break to powder her nose. As far as this concerns, apart from being a woman, she is also a natural performer: the more you part, the more come-backs you can make. After a nearby B&B lady, who exploits the same principle, I call this 'the Anna-effect': 'Hurray, so happy to be here again!'
Sometimes it is easier to understand something, by placing it in a perspective. The perspective I intuitively find appropriate is that of a knot. The knot suggests a trajectory, a distance, diverse shapes of repetition, a degree of complexity, a third dimension, a beginning and an end, and, last but not least, an inimitable mystery. This I gladly illustrate with the Irish knot that graces both my sweatshirts (T-shirtshop, Lehinch, Co.Clare).
Of course swimming with Dusty is no continuous emotional miracle. Things tend to grow ordinary by repetition. Still my attention opens up each time she shows awareness of my presence. Some people have her collect plastic bags. I do not find that fetching, considering her an equal. The other day she surprised me with a rope weed on root and after that with a double stemmed kelp weed. Did she expect something in return? Reciprocity holds a key role in the distribution of possession in nature people. Or was this another ultimate ruse to get hold of my monofin?
It is no surprise that MarMam, a newsgroup for marine-biologists, does not allow reflections on 'friendly, wild dolphins. They are quite unfathomable. My thoughts come closest to 'school's going out'.
Jan Ploeg, Ballyvaughn, 20th june 2003
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