Never underestimate the intelligence of a dolphin - by Elsie.

Never underestimate the intelligence of a dolphin. Two days ago we set out from Rum Cay to Long Island with a northerly force 4 to 5. Two reefs in the main and one in the jib we bombed along to the top of Long Island. There is a huge reef right along the top of the island so we stood off nearly 4 miles until we could turn and under jib alone we started to sail down the west coast. Our chart plotter uses Navionic charts, which are pretty much useless close to land in The Bahamas. Lionel has Navionic sonar charts loaded on his phone which we use in tricky areas. They are usually good but never spot on as there is a lot of shifting sand banks in this area. He had identified a good channel to follow down towards Thompson Bay, a settlement about half way down the west coast which had everything a cruiser needed after three weeks in the Out Islands – food, laundry, liquor store, social interaction with other yachties, did I mention food. By now it was mid afternoon and we were not sure if we would get to Thompson Bay before the sun went down. Lionel is always quite apprehensive about going into a new anchorage without good light. He had identified another potential anchorage about ten miles away which might be OK at a push (which means it will be very rolly and no real shelter from the wind but we would be safe).

At this point we were joined by a single dolphin. This is unusual as dolphins are very sociable creatures and usually travel in pairs if not whole shoals of up to 20 or 30. They love to play with the water stream coming of our bow and it is great fun watching their antics, coming alongside the boat to make sure you are watching then doing some acrobatics in the slip stream of the bow, then ducking down and appearing at the stern to wallow in your applause and praise. This can go on for an hour or more depending on whether they have fed already or if the boat is going fast enough for them to be kept amused. This single dolphin behaved oddly from the start. He was not interested in the bow slip stream and he kept on coming up each side of the boat making sure we could see him clearly. This behaviour went on for about ten minutes then he started to drop back behind us, appearing at the side of the boat then dropping behind us again, getting further and further behind each time. Eventually he disappeared.

Not thinking much more of the incident we carried on. About ten minutes later Lionel started to look worried. Both of the electronic charts indicated we should be in 9 metres of of water but the depth sounder was saying three. The minimum depth Ruby can sail in is about 2 metres but we like to have a metre above that in case of rocks or other hazards on the sea bed. The conclusion was we were going through a little shallow area and the depth would rise in a few minutes. It didn’t and we started to notice breaking water to our port side which indicates very shallow water or a reef. There was no reef indicated on either chart so we concluded it was shallow water. The sail was hastily put away and the engine, which we had started as soon as we had identified a potential problem, was brought into use. Lionel quickly turned Ruby round and back tracked along the same track we had come in on knowing that although it was shallow it was deep enough for Ruby.

After the initial shock had worn off we started to look around for other potential overnight anchorages in the area. There was a marina close by but the reviews indicated it only had 5 foot depth in the approach channel so we couldn’t go there. The decision to try on the lee shore of a tiny island near Dove Cay was made and we cautiously headed that way. About a mile into the journey we suddenly went aground in 1.2 metres of water. We were stuck fast. The good news was the tide was rising so all we had to do was wait. We stuck out the anchor to stop the current pulling us further onto the sand bank and waited. After about an hour the depth started to go up and we floated off. I hauled up the anchor then became lookout on the bow as we inched forward to our destination. We did get there eventually and anchored in 2.9 metres of water, a little skinny for my liking but we were safe.

After a very large rum we started to talk about what had happened and what we should have done. Of course we should have turned back much sooner, when we say that the depth on the chart and the depth on the sounder were miles apart. In fact we should have turned back when the dolphin appeared. Was he trying to tell us something? Are these mammals so attuned to their environment and everything that is going on in it that they know when other creatures, including men in big boats, are in danger? In hindsight the dolphin was definitely warning us about the shifting sand. He knew the boat and we were in danger. The fact he made sure we were aware of his presence and started to drop back as we got nearer and nearer the danger is enough proof to me.

This is not the first time something like this has happened to us. The first time was many years ago in Scotland. We were approaching Gairloch after a very long wet beam reach across from Harris. There is a beautiful little anchorage tucked away in a corner of the Loch which we heading for. As we were about to drop the sails and start to motor in a single dolphin appeared and started playing with the bow slip stream. He was doing all the usual things, swimming along beside us then went of to do some acrobatics, dancing with the water in front of us then back to make sure were paying attention. This continued for about five miles as we approached the anchorage. He stayed with us right to the anchorage then watched us as we put the sails away and tidied up. As we sat down and opened our first can of the night he had one last look and off he went. His duty had been done. He had seen us safely into a safe anchorage and we weren’t about to move. I still swear when he heard the first can pop open he left. A few days later we were in a pub in Mull with loads more sailors and I told my quirky little story to the group. Another sailor piped up saying the same thing had happened to him.

Well, what do you make of these two stories, coincidence or are we dealing with a creature far more intelligent than man? I us the word intelligence not in the sense of being able to solve huge mathematical problems or build great structures. I use the term meaning they are at one with nature and know what is good and what is bad and try to help others who don’t. Maybe there is hope for the world. Maybe man is not the future and Darwin was right. The next evolutionary step is already developing and it will be that step that will save the world from disaster not man. We have had our moment of glory but now it’s a matter of survival of the fittest and man is not stepping up to the plate and proving their worth so we will eventually die out and in another million years man will be referred to as the dinosaurs are now. Dolphins will ask “I wonder what natural disaster killed them, was it a meteor hitting earth and changing the climate so drastically that they could not survive?” No, we know it was our own stupidity and selfishness that ruined the planet for our species and we have to accept the inevitable. We are on our way out!!!!