In the 15 years we have been coming to Pelican Bay, we have seen a myriad of wildlife. Dolphins, manatees, thousands of fish and many different birds. This is the first time I remember really noticing the pelican activity. We have sat on the beaches at Boca Grande and Englewood and admired the sheer power and flying ability of these magnificent birds as they dive from amazing heights to grab a fish they have spotted from above.
Today, as we were enjoying our morning coffee at about 7:15 am we observed a school of bait fish gathering under our boat. I guess the locals know this too. Several well equipped fishing boats were cruising the bay looking to net bait fish either to sell or use in their daily endeavors.
The pelicans were also lurking close to our boat acting cool, like they were just hangin' out. We gave the fishermen an OK to come close to our boat and one netted a baitwell full of thread fin herring and white sardines. Good for him. I don't' need them.
We spent a leisurely day relaxing on deck avoiding any repairs or maintenance that needed to be done. In the early afternoon we took the dinghy to the sandbar to enjoy some beach time. While we were relaxing enjoying an adult beverage, we noticed other beachcombers staring off into the water at a dark blur just under the surface. One intrepid tourist ventured into the ankle deep water and shouted, "Sting Rays!! How exciting for him! Jack identified a small school of cow nose rays calmly cruising the shoreline. Once again, we have seen these rays in the harbor, but never here.
That was about all the excitement we could take and we motored back to Caprice to finish out the day. I made potato salad from scratch, that means real potatoes, and thawed some chicken to grill. Jack read and took a nap which is so unlike him. I think he is finally beginning to chill down from weeks of preparation.
We enjoyed dinner on the deck, again watching the bait fish school in our shadow and the pelicans dive to grab a tasty morsel. The bay is sparsely occupied tonight. 9 sailboats and 5 power boats. In recent visits to Pelican bay there were so many boats we couldn't count them and power boats or trawlers outnumbered the sailboats 3-1. Maybe the warm May temperatures bring out the sailboats and keep the power boats at home. Just an observation!