This will be short and sweet. I hope it is a fun read.

Something has been happening that, once again, brings up old memories.

Occasionally, when I was backpacking and snug in my sleeping bag in my tent, something would go “SNORT” outside my tent. I learned over time that I didn’t need to be concerned about SNORTS that came with loud stomps because they were just the heavy breathing of elk or deer going by the tent. One time, I had the shadow of an elk pass over my yellow tent on a nicely moonlit night.

SNORTS without stomps were a different story- that meant bears. Occasionally, I’d hear the bears clawing at the ground nearby. Thankfully, I only had to deal with black bears in my camps at night and only encountered grizzlies in the day time.

There is a new SNORT on the block and they don’t come with other loud sounds. Should I be concerned … quite the opposite- it’s dolphins surfacing for air near the boat! Dolphins are kind of like the grey squirrels of the Florida inlets, brackish rivers; and estuaries. I’ve seen them almost everywhere with a few exceptions. Here in New Smyrna Beach, I see them every day moving through in small groups. Its 50/50 whether a single dolphin surfaces and goes SNORT or an adult surfaces with a very small juvenile right along side. The particularly loud SNORTS bring me topsides because that means they are right next to the boat.

I like these new SNORTS- there is no feeling of anxiety to go along with them as I don’t have to wait to hear stomps or not. All I have to say to the dolphins is – SNORT on!