Ocean Diary October 26, 2022
I was very eager to get back on the water today. Even though it’s only been 4 days since I last ventured out, it feels much longer. When you realize there’s a whole other world on the ocean, full of life and mystery, it’s hard to stay away.
My friend and I met at Oceanside Harbor today bright and early. It was chilly and windy this morning, so we buttoned up our jackets and hoodies and set out to sea. We saw a huge naval ship anchored offshore as we left the harbor.
We passed the ship and headed due west about 8 miles from shore. We didn’t see any animals along the way but did have a few false sightings. Since we weren’t seeing anything, I decided to stop the boat and pull out the chicken teriyaki with rice and avocado I brought on board. I cooked it yesterday, and it tasted so good with some extra ginger lime coco aminos (this stuff is delicious). I’m glad I brought the food because we were both pretty hungry on empty coffee stomachs.
After we enjoyed our snack, I noticed it was becoming hard to see land, so we decided to head south parallel to the coast and explore some more. Once I turned the boat, I immediately noticed a difference in how the wind affected our ride. Usually, the boat is very smooth, but after changing course, we started pounding on the waves and getting wet. So I altered the course again, and I’m grateful for it because it led us to the trip’s highlight.
Around 10 minutes after heading southeast, we saw huge splashes ahead. As we got closer, we realized it was a pod of probably 100 dolphins. They were very active and had babies, jumping out of the air and probably feeding. It was the first time my friend had been this close to dolphins in the wild, and it was such a joy to see her face so thrilled.
One of the best things about this hobby is bringing these moments to other people. Showing them what it’s like to be close to these ocean animals, big and small. My friend told me it was one of the best days of her life, and that made my week.
We hung out with the dolphins for 15-20 minutes, and they started bow-riding our boat. My friend got extremely close to them at the bow and was splashed by one. She was so happy.
After that, we wanted to inspect the coastline as she had never seen our town from the water. There might be a chance we could see an animal in the Carlsbad underwater canyon, too. So we cruised close to shore, looked at the cliffs and seaside, and saw a scuba diver making their way out from shore. The waves were good, and there were many surfers and people on the beach. It was a good day in San Diego, and I can’t wait to go out again.
Until next time,
Brenna
