Day One at Hunting Island

Monday November 19, 2012
Site 59 Hunting Island State Park
Hunting Island, South Carolina

 

We’re up and out on the beach just after sunrise.  Granted, these days, sunrise is not all that early.

Carrie and I head for the path to the ocean just steps from our front door.   SO SWEET!!

 

 

It’s a cloudy day but this natural beach front with so few people is just perfect in my eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a nice brisk walk on the ocean front, it’s back to Winnona to have some oatmeal pecan pancakes.  Oh my, SO GOOD!  But the dishwasher is going to have a real job cleaning up after this messy cook.

 

We meet Nancy and Bill at the Fishing pier at 1:30 and follow our leaders over bridges and along marshes to take in more of the natural beauty of this wonderful park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m still trying to get that illusive Kingfisher picture.  He gave me his opinion of my efforts.

 

 

Those who are lucky enough to go hiking or paddling with Nancy know that she is a super scout.  She has amazing eyes.

And today was no exception.  While we are standing on the bridge she spotted what we think is an osprey but then we see the white tail.

 

Across the bridge and into the woods … we find him? her?

 

 

And then TWO.  Two eagles.  WOW!

 

After we ooohhed and ahhhhhed and took hundreds of pictures while they just sat around relaxing, we went on to the shoreline where there had once been a road and a dozen cabins.  We were here about this time in 2010 and 3 or 4 of the houses were in the water on their stilts.  This year only one remained.

 

 

 

 

Mother Nature still has the upper hand whether we wish to accept it or not.

 

 

 

Hmmm, what does she know?  What makes David smile?  Is Bill in awe??

 

We return through the woods back to the bridge and have to stop to take more pictures of this gorgeous bird.

 

 

Crossing the bridge this time Nancy decides she wants to see a dolphin she had noticed earlier swimming up the lagoon.  She thinks it would be about right if s/he would just come on back down now.  So she calls him.  SERIOUSLY.  She calls him and our jaws drop.

Here he comes.

 

 

Carrie coined the term DPSW since Nancy wasn’t sure what she’d seen earlier and referred to it as a “Dolphin/porpoise/small whale”.
We were all sure it wasn’t a small whale and I was pretty sure it was a dolphin.  While writing the blog I asked the great google about the difference between dolphins and porpoise.
NOAA.gov gave me the following information.

All the large marine mammals belong to the order Cetacea (from the Greek work ketos, “large sea creature). The orca, or killer whale is actually the largest member of the dolphin family.

The main reason I was pretty sure we are seeing a dolphin is that Dolphins are by far more prevalent than porpoises. Most scientists agree that there are 32 dolphin species (plus five closely related species of river dolphin) and only six porpoise species.

So what is the difference? It comes down to their faces (who can forget Flipper’s famous “grin”?), their fins, and their figures. But who gets a look that close unless you are at Marineland??

Dolphins tend to have prominent, elongated “beaks” and cone-shaped teeth, while porpoises have smaller mouths and spade-shaped teeth. The dolphin’s hooked or curved dorsal fin (the one in the middle of the animal’s back) also differs from the porpoise’s triangular dorsal fin. Generally speaking, dolphin bodies are leaner, and porpoises’ are portly.

Dolphins are also more talkative than porpoises. Dolphins make whistling sounds through their blowholes to communicate with one another underwater. Scientists are pretty sure that porpoises do not do this, and some think this may be due to structural differences in the porpoise’s blowhole.

Dolphins and porpoises have many similarities, one of which is their extreme intelligence. Both have large, complex brains and a structure in their foreheads, called the melon, with which they generate sonar (sound waves) to navigate their underwater world.

 

And a guy in Scotland had a cool chart I’ve incorporated.  Thanks to
http://thewesternisles.co.uk/differencedolphinporpoise.htm  for the following:

 

Feature
Dolphin Characteristic
Difference in a Porpoise

The nose

A dolphin usually has a pointed snout
(beak)

A porpoise snout is short and blunt like a cartoon fish sketch
(never strongly pointed)

 

The fin

(Some species of both have no fin on their back)

The leading edge of the fin on a dolphin's back is shaped like a curling wave
(Called the dorsal fin)

The leading edge of a porpoise's back fin is straight.
The porpoise's fin is also triangular like a shark's

 

The teeth

(The difference in teeth between dolphins and porpoises reflects the difference in the fish that they catch)

Dolphins have pointed cone-shaped teeth

Porpoise teeth are flat, spade shaped, with upper edges that are long and sharp

 

Size
Dolphins grow up to 12 feet long
Porpoises are usually less than 7 feet long

Shape
Dolphins are longer and sleeker in shape
Porpoises are shorter and more compact

 

Sounds
Dolphins produce sounds we can hear (and are talkative!)
Porpoise sounds are inaudible to us

Behavior
Dolphins have much less fear of humans - will ride the waves alongside boats
Porpoises are shy - you are much less likely to see one - wild or captive.
Rarely seen at surface unless up to breathe.

Groups
Dolphins live in large groups
Porpoises live in pods of 2 - 4

Lifespan
Dolphins can live for more than 50 years
Porpoises do not live long past the age of 15

 

If there is reincarnation, this may be my choice.  But I’d also like to be a pelican or an otter.  Maybe I can get reincarnated three times.

 

 

 

We stop at the lighthouse …

which was AGAIN closed for maintenance.  Apparently November isn’t the time of year to come if you want to actually go inside the lighthouse.  .  In 2010 in November they were doing outside maintenance and this time it’s painting the inside.  SO we’ll have to try again maybe next year.
 YY  I do LOVE hunting island.  YY

 

  

 

 

 

 

We stop at the boardwalk on the way to the lighthouse.  This is a great spot to watch the sunset.

 

 

 

Thanks Nancy and Bill for a great day and spectacular sightings!