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Shark Week - Day One


This week is a repeat of Shark Week from a couple years ago on this blog.  






Sorry, no sharks here.  But it is kind of neat to see a Mississippi River-style barge plying the gulf.  This was the day we would spot two sharks in the approximate area.  Sharks and dolphins are sometimes confused, but they are rather easy to tell apart (listen to me, I sound like an expert).  Dolphins go up and down swimming.  They go all the way under, then come up,  for air.  Sharks, however,  swim along with their dorsal fin exposed without the up and down motion.  This info was relayed via a guy who supposedly knows.


And here is our first glimpse of a shark.  The fin in the center is easily seen, but the second fin, sneakily swimming along is a bit lower and to the far right.  You might be able to click and enlarge.    Spotting these guys is a very rare occurrence.  Some people stopped by to witness them as well, and doubt we'll ever get another chance to see sharks so close to the shore. 









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