PhotoEssay (Originally published in Unbound Vol. 14, Spring2003) |
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By Rafiki Yako Special Correspondent Early in the day, on our way to the prime fishing location near a village called Sifa, we ran across about a hundred common dolphins that surrounded the boat. We tried our best to take photos as they jumped, twirled, and flew through the air, but the digital cameras proved too slow and the 35 mm was too fast. I even shot some video in a vain attempt to capture their antics on film as they were feeding. They were truly incredible to experience in the wild—more breathtaking than their trained cousins I witnessed this summer at Sea World. We ran with them for over an hour before deciding it was time to start taking fishing seriously. I loved their vocalizations—musical and inviting. I wanted to jump into the water and join their happy family. We discovered a picnic lunch of American-style sandwiches and Middle Eastern salads and finger foods in the onboard cold storage and took advantage of a lull in the fishing to break for lunch. We only caught a handful of fish around midday, the prey having gone to take siesta. The fish we did manage to catch were victims of our experiments to see if hot dog morsels made good bait, which proved to be true. A great moment for me was when the captain let me drive the boat as soon as we headed out to sea. He showed me how to start up the twin 75-hp engines and how to work the steering, which required special handling. Then, he and Michael organized the boat for fishing, leaving me in charge of holding the helm at precisely 120 degrees. The boat kept drifting naturally from 90 to 135 degrees and I'd have to work the wheel diligently to get it back to the center. Nothing will ever compare to the feel of the wind rushing through my hair, sea gulls cawing overhead, with dolphins leaping and diving on both sides of me. |
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©
2002 Rafiki Yako |
