My brother and I went out early Sunday morning to get some early action before taking the girls for a boat ride. We caught bait and were at the mouth of Hobcaw around the dock on the point and I had something happen that I have never witnessed. There were plenty of porpoises around doing whatever they do and loving life but we had one come up to side of the boat checking us out almost doing tricks for us. Was sticking his/her whole head out of the water and looking at us. He stayed beside the boat for almost 10 minutes and at some points made me feel uncomfortable like he was going to jump in the boat with us.
Apparently someone has been pitching bait to him or feeding him and I told him kindly that other than being illegal I work hard for my bait and he has sonar…so stop being lazy and go catch his own breakfast.
Has anyone seen this friendly flipper around that area or was he just cruising the Wando that morning???
Caught lots of shrimp on muddy banks, caught one undersized trout and red. Pin fish and blues enjoyed our shrimp. Then it was girls time on the boat and we rode the rest of the morning.
We had the same thing happen to us in Norwell creek sat morning. He stuck around for about 5-10 min laying on his side staring at us. I agree looks like someone has been feeding him and was hoping we would do the same.
Yepeer! Penny’s Daddy’s Flipper Friend has been teaching the others! If we don’t put a stop to this, soon they will be on street corners with signs (Will Work For Food)
CUFish, that has to be the same guy or either a partner in his routine because he looked at us and then rolled over and showed us his belly and then looked at us like “Ok now???” You know that feeling you get when your spouse looks at you like a lesser being…that is what I was getting from Snowflake.
There’s one in the Stono that would do it named Spike by all the crabbers. The crabbers feed them a lot and I believe that’s how they get used to coming up to boats.
I had one the other day that jumped fully out of the water twice like he had been taught at Sea World or something?they’re getting braver watch your backs…
Had one do that in Hilton Head, after a few trick’s he leaned up on the side of the boat with his fin looking around as if he was going to just hang out or get in. The kids thought it was awsome, I wasn’t sure about it and we were only a few inches from taking on water from over the side. I was very relieved when he left. Some things you just aren’t prepared for.
‘87 Pacemaker 31’ SF
‘04 Renegade 29’ 2 225’s
‘97 Maycraft 17’ 40 hp
There’s at least one case of a trained dolphin released into the wild who joined a wild pod and taught them how to dance on their tails. Pods of dolphins and orca have a culture where they teach each other hunting tactics and fun stuff like playing with air bubbles. But I can imagine a commercial fisherman or somebody teaching a wild dolphin to jump on cue.
Beyond the potential hazard of swamped kayaks and so on, surely it’s not good for fishing if deadbeat dolphins are being taught to hang around angler’s boats.
I’ve got pics on my cellphone of 2 flippers begging for some of the mud minnows I was dumping while waiting my turn to load up at Whale Branch landing last year. Good time to try to figure out the photobucket thing.
Penny, I don’t mean to interrupt this thread, but WHERE have you been? Fishing as not been very good this year and I assumed if you weren’t reporting, that was all the evidence I needed. I trust all is well and you have just been busy with other stuff?
