I walked out onto the bow last night to watch the sunset once again. I didn't take my camera with me this time because I know it's better to watch these things through your own eyes rather than through a camera so I left it in my cabin. Rossano, one of the deck hands came to join me just before the sun hit the horizon. I asked him how likely it was to see dolphins right now and he said it was possible so I kept saying "come on dolphins, come on!".
Just as the sun disappeared Rossano pointed ahead of us and said he saw something. I couldn't believe it..... it was dolphins leaping out of the water and heading towards the ship. I ran inside to tell other people and grab my camera. When I came out again everyone was leaning over the bow and gazing into the water below. As I peered over the side I saw 3 dolphins swimming alongside us, coming up for a breath with a whistle and burst of air before diving under again, dropping back and then swimming ahead of the ship. My pictures were not so good since it was getting dark but we could see them very clearly and even from 20 feet above the surface on top of the bow we could hear their high pitched squeaks. They stayed with us only for a few minutes and then ended up off off our stern. We think they were bottlenose dolphins since they were very big.
This morning, I finished peeling garlic for Rein the cook and started to head up here to the campaign office to tell you about the dolphins last night but Ramon, the fitter came leaping up the stairs yelling "dolphins! dolphins!" at me and sure enough as I came out with my camera in hand there they were again. Dancing about in front of us. Perhaps we will see dolphins a lot on this trip. I have seen them many times already, all over the world but my feelings never change. I still hope to see them all the time and when I do, it's like the best gift ever. They are such amazing creatures to watch because they swim so fast and jump around a lot and make noises that put a big smile on your face.
I do think we are very luck to see them so soon on this crossing and for me seeing them means even more than before since back home in Bermuda I recently organised an action campaign against a new swim-with-dolphins prison and just heard that we won before I left Amsterdam. I think dolphins, as with all wild animals, should always be free and it makes me so sad when people put them in captivity for no other reason than to make money.
Seeing wild dolphins always reminds me that fighting to save the marine environment is worth all the sweat and tears.
-Lisa.
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I walked out onto the bow last night to watch the sunset once again. I didn't take my camera with me this time because I know it's better to watch these things through your own eyes rather than through a camera so I left it in my cabin. Rossano, one of the deck hands came to join me just before the sun hit the horizon. I asked him how likely it was to see dolphins right now and he said it was possible so I kept saying "come on dolphins, come on!". 
