Virginia Is For Families

During our trip we were able to spend a day in Spanish Wells.  The area has an interesting history that you can read about here.

http://www.eleuthera-map.com/eleuthera-island.htm

About five years ago we visited the area and explored Preachers Cave.  It is just a walk of a mile or two from Salt Kettle Beach where we saw the dolphins on this trip. Here you can see the dense growth that begins just off the beach.  It is hot in there and there are lots of little animals running around. But we didn’t have a problem with insects.  Maybe the animals and birds ate them all.

From the water you can see a small cave (not Preachers Cave) as you approach the beach.  It looks like a welcoming figure is standing in the left side of the cave opening.

In reality here is what we are seeing.

Here is a cool picture of the island taken from outer space . . .

http://www.eleuthera-map.com/

Here is a photo of a nearby rock formation that looks like a profile.   You can tell that you are approaching Salt Kettle Beach when you see this.

Captain Jack told me the this was “Dolphin Beach” but after checking a map it seems clear to me that it is Salt Kettle Beach.  Jack is like a little kid sometimes and he loves to tell stories.  You have to watch him closely when he opens his mouth.  But when he is guiding the sailboat at night you can sleep soundly .

I was exploring the beach and deciding that I really was not interested in following a path into the interior. There is a cool cave a mile or so from the water but it is further down the coast. Several hundred years ago a group of settlers lived in that cave for two years while trying to figure out how to establish a colony.

It is so hot today. I can’t imagine how they did it. And as I walk down this deserted beach to the water’s edge I look up and for a second think that there are sharks in the water. There is not a sound as a large fin glides  near my feet. And the darkness around it seems odd in this brief moment. Is this a dream? Am I seeing a strange sea creature?
For a second I am aware that life is a dream and I experience this in my gut. And then my rational mind jumps into the fray and tells me “It’s a pod of dolphins and you can almost touch them”.

My camera is on a rock as the tide comes in and I take a few steps while frantically pulling it out of its protective bag. And then while forgetting any notion of planning a shot I start taking three photos per second trusting that some of them will actually capture a dolphin as it rises in a smooth and soundless arc out of the depths.
If I had been anywhere else on the beach I probably would have missed this and so I feel fortunate even though in a few seconds they are gone. Jeremy has taken a walk down the beach and later tells me about his experience.
“I was standing waist deep in water and thinking about nature and how beautiful it can be. I was really at peace with the world and when I looked up there were several dolphins swimming towards me.”

We will always remember these moments.  Such a beautiful dream.