Day Three in Orange Beach (con't)

On Friday night, we scheduled a dolphin cruise with Dolphin Fun Dolphin Cruises. We came in from the pool, got ready, and drove into town to a marina to check in for the boat ride. Lots of businesses and private citizens of Orange Beach keep their boats docked in the marinas in the many bays located inland. We had never seen so many boats in one place.

Dolphin Fun Dolphin Cruises was chartered by Captain Dean, who is a school teacher. He charters dolphin cruises in the summer time and his wife Jean helps take care of scheduling and paperwork. He is very informative and really wants everyone to have a good time while on the boat. We thought a family from Iowa would be the farthest from home but were mistaken as a family from Germany was aboard! The kids put on life jackets (Charly got to hold the ship's mascot), Captain Dean gave the run down of rules, and we set off for Perdido Bay and the Alabama/Florida state line. 

Once in Perdido Bay, Captain Dean explained how our dolphin sightseeing would go. Often times, he charters into waters where he thinks dolphin are and is able to show many playing and jumping. However, we were sightseeing on the very first day of shrimping season! Which meant the bay was filled with shrimp boats. Captain Dean explained that this was the best time of year for dolphin because they will follow shrimp boats and feed off the spoils. Sometimes they will even chew holes in shrimp nets!

We followed a few different shrimp boats for a little while and saw some dolphin from a distance trailing behind. After 20 minutes or so, we found one small boat being trailed by a mother dolphin and her baby! Captain Dean explained that while we could bounce from boat to boat and see lots of dolphin, we were going to stick with this one because it was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Captain Dean thought the baby dolphin was only 3 weeks old. The closer we got to the mother and her baby, we could even see faint stripes still on the baby (baby dolphin are born with striped fur). Captain Dean said that she had to have been born very late in the season. 

The baby mimicked the mother in everything she did. Captain Dean explained that the baby would stay close to the mother for 5 years while the mother taught it everything she knew! She would maybe only have one more baby within that time span. 

It is illegal for cruises and fishermen to "feed" the dolphin but the shrimp boat we befriended pulled it's net out of the water and tossed it's spoil (anything that wasn't shrimp) back into the water. We cheered on the mother and her baby while they fed right up by our boat. Charly and Hayes were in awe. 

On our way back to Orange Beach, we stopped by a trap to see if anything was inside. We were told that often times these traps are filled with sea creatures but our luck only brought one blue crab. Charly and Hayes refused to hold it, but wanted pictures with it.

The dolphin cruise ended with a water war. People climbed to the top deck and some stayed on the main deck and the two groups hashed it out. Charly and Hayes wanted nothing to do with it so we stayed inside and watched the fun. It was intense and probably would have been a bit much for the kids. 

We pulled into the marina just after 8:00 pm and ate overlooking the bay at Tacky Jack's, a popular Orange Beach restaurant built up on the water. We were all exhausted and crashed pretty early when we got back to the condo. 

Day Three in Orange Beach

Day Three in Orange Beach brought on much of the same. Sun, sand, and relaxation. 

Our condo looked out over the Gulf of Mexico. In the front of our condo complex were a series of bays and marinas were locals and businesses kept their fishing boats. Each morning, those marinas would empty into the Gulf for day-long fishing excursions. It was kind of fun to watch all these boats scatter into the Gulf each morning.

The swimming pool had become Charly and Hayes's favorite place to be so each visit to the beach was bookended by a visit to the pool. Kelli and I had to admit, it was kind of relaxing. Especially when returning from the beach. It gave us all and opportunity to clean the sand off us and cool down. In the morning however, Kelli and I just wanted to get to the beach while Charly and Hayes just wanted to swim!

Hayes was a little frustrated that we left the pool so Charly was alone in building sandcastles. But boy did she build sandcastles! 

Hayes snapped out of it nicely though when Kelli and I offered to bury his feet! He and Charly thought this was hilarious.

We couldn't get over all the colors at work and the different shapes of the clouds at times. I swear every time we looked up, the sky looked different. 

It is so much fun watching Charly and Hayes's friendship grow. They truly are best of friends. They drive each other crazy at times but would fight like crazy for each other any day. When you are isolated in a new place you are unfamiliar with, that friendship only strengthens. Not only did it make Kelli and I proud, but happy that we are able to provide them with these experiences. Charly has a rock solid photographic memory and remembers things even from our Michigan vacation very clearly. After watching Pixar's Inside Out, we hope some of their "core memories" are being stored away from these special locations.

Like Day Two, we spent more time than expected on the beach. We stopped at the pool for a quick dip before heading up to the condo for lunch. We snacked and took our time and then decided to forgo the beach and revisit the pool for a swim. 

More from Day Three coming...