Dolphin Address 15 2003
July 18th 2003
Since I know how to keep the inner lens of my waterproof case free of condense I am richer than the queen with my Canon Powershot. Filming Dusty under water is something two months ago I would not ever never have dreamt of, but thanks to a tax refund, meanwhile cashed in by my municipality, I got it!
There is a lot of difference between tearing through towering waves with the camera mounted on the waterwing or cutting capers with your heels in your neck to record Dusty's curvature and stretched out relaxed with a kiwi-drink watch her performances in the tiniest detail on the monitor of my laptop as often repeated as needs be.
Then, almost mouthwatering, I see how coquettish she swings her behind into a curve. How much she moves her peduncle sideways. Not only to steer, but also to thrust. When she releases strings of bubbles like trace ammunition. How she crosses her fluke to a halt. What a grip she has on the water!
Either if she's laying practically still or sprints upwards at breakneck speed from almost right under me, while turning 90 degrees around her body axis and on centimeters distance by me, jumps high out of the water.
Meanwhile I've put me feet up, what luxury!
When I compare the images of the photo's with those of the film, they are more solid and clear, more articulate. I can select rectangles and enlarge them to 800 %.
From the poolrock I had taken a number of photo's of Dusty while she was playing with an eight some. When I looked at them closer I saw again vibrations like those described earlier in
'The Tiara of Pollenawatch', 'Dolphin Address' 1 of 2003. That is what I like, and I will keep at it:
When you look at the head of a dolphin, you see that it has a hydrodynamic shape, like a kind of cone. Except on the upper side. That means that more water flushes by here than on the flanks and chin side. There will be a distinction in pressure.
Humans do barely detect differences in water resistance (unless for drinking from a tap), but if you can swim up to 40 kilometers an hour there is a wide range to appreciate. And if there is a deflection of flow on the crease of the head the resulting warp cannot expected to be random.
Doubtlessly this will be detected by the dolphin herself, built into her power of observation and be at her disposal.
And here I arrive at my earlier hypothesis, that dolphins generate an acoustic band around their head to refine the reception of their sonar. Is this how they do it? The dolphin in me knows.
Jan Ploeg, Fanore beach, July 18th 2003
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