Dolphins, Turtles & Stingray

We're now on Playa Zipolite. About 40 miles east of Puerto Escondido. It's beautiful - very tranquillo. We have a nice little room right on the beach where the sound of the waves may well keep us awake - we've yet to find out!!

Yesterday we went out from Puerto Escondido on a boat trip to see wildlife. We went out offshore a good couple of miles at a reasonably steady pace and then slowed when we eventually came across what was to be our fist sightings of dolphins. Dozens of them jumping up out of the water, swimming alongside the boat, ducking and diving around in the wake, and all the time just so close you could touch. It was incredible! You could hear the noise they made when they took air right in front of us in the bow of the boat and occasionally heard a kind of whistling sound from them too. In amongst them all we also saw a whale - only a couple of brief sightings as it heaved itself out of the water so I'm not sure what kind it was.

Later we saw another school of dolphins. Apparently these were a different variety and on the whole they were a little more sedate - just moving smoothly up and out of the water, not quite so much darting around like the others. They stayed with the boat for a long time just playing around in the water alongside us. In this particular area the water was FULL of tiny jellyfish so no putting hands in water this time!!

Next we got up close and personal to a great turtle. Rightly or wrongly (I suspect the latter) the boatman actually caught the turtle in his hands and held it for a minute or so, so we could all see it up close. This was a big-un! At this point we all dived in the water ourselves to cool off far out in the middle of the ocean and when the guy let go of the turtle it swam right amongst us! (again though I don't know what species it was)

Finally as we were heading back to shore I sighted a fair amount of splashing around. We turned the boat and on closer inspection it was a shoal(?!) of sting-rays. All flapping around just below the surface. We got to watch for a while before they suddenly all moved off en masse and we watched their shapes glide off underwater and underneath us. We did see one jump right up out of the water before they went!