It was great being back on Stenella again this year! Once again it was like stepping back in time and the old routines (but new equipment) fell right into place. This trip we spent the whole time on Little Bahama Bank, so it really was like being back in that time before the dolphins moved to Bimini. We cruised around the sandbank going to all the regular places, looking for dolphins, and getting a few good snorkeling trips in when the dolphins weren’t around. The snorkeling stops were a nice break, but also important for documenting how the ecosystem is faring. The health of the reefs can tell us a lot about what is happening on the sandbank, and what issues the dolphins that are still there may be facing.

The weather was gorgeous – even having a day of glassy water (where there is just about no wind, and the ocean surface is calm and looks like a pool) – that was such a treat! The dolphins are a little harder to find these days on LBB, but we managed to have a few good encounters with both bottlenose (near and dear to my heart) and spotted dolphins. I was so excited to have an encounter with FlyingA, an adult female spotted dolphin I knew when I first started with WDP more than 20 years ago. There are more and more new dolphins that I don’t know, so it was extra special getting to hang with one that I remembered well from my days, and that she is still healthy and thriving. As always the humans on the trip were amazing as well. I treasure getting to be out on Stenella again, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones (both human and dolphin alike) and I hope to make it a yearly adventure for many years to come!