Were the dolphins waiting for us to get back?

What an amazing return we had to our beloved Bimini this year. The crossing from Fort Lauderdale on DolphinQuest (newly cleaned, painted and spruced up) was calm and easy. We crossed at night with the new moon. So many stars! It was fantastic to get home and see our dog Sandy again. So good to be home.

Next morning, our neighbour Bonefish Ebbie called, bursting with excitement, “Look out of your window – the dolphins are there”.

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Dolphins no more than a few yards from the edge of the bay, right outside the house.

At first, we had no snorkel equipment but we went straight into the water to connect. The dolphins were frolicking and playing with each other and with us. They seemed to want to stay so we found our masks and snorkel and went in again – easier to see them under water! The locals said they had seen our boat come in and had come to say welcome back!

“There was Romeo with her calf,” Atmo explains, “So good to see her, she’s my favourite.  I’ve seen her grow over the last ten years so she feels like family”.

The dolphins stayed with us for more than an hour, coming up so close. Our human-dolphin pod, reunited. Bliss.

The whole experience was so unusual – no one that we’ve talked to on the island can ever remember seeing them swim into the bay like this.

Thank you our beloved dolphins for the most beautiful welcome home ever. We’re looking forward to lots more beautiful encounters with you this coming season. We’re forever grateful for your presence and never take it for granted.

For more stunning underwater photography and meetings with the dolphins check out our Flickr page.