Nothing special in here except for the swims on 28th July which will be recorded elsewhere. These notes are just for the record of our (irishdolphins people) swims in July. Ute and Jan were staying in Fanore and swimming nearly every day through this month, the rest of us had two 2-3 day visits up from Dingle.
Wednesday 10th July
High tide, sea rough, 2pm?, cove 2, bright overcast, fresh onshore breeze
Graham and Kristin
Fly-bys, brief strokes
Viz moderate, lots of seaweed bits
Swim time 40 mins Dolphin time 5 mins
 Thursday 11th July
1st swim: 11 am, low tide, cove 3, sunny, light breeze, calm. Viz good except for churned up sand by beach.
Ute and Nike in water since 10:30. Dolphin in very shallow on beach. Graham joined them followed by Kristin. Frolicked in shallows for an hour and took a roll of film. Gave her “Dusty’s fin” which she played with for a good while before we lost it.
Joined by German family with three kids, two of whom stayed in long after we got out, as did Ute.
Swim time 90 mins, dolphin time 90 mins (overall)
Dolphin was busy following lobster boat from 2pm – 4pm
2nd swim: 5.30 pm
Ute, Nike, Fritz, German woman from Moycullane in water. Graham joined them. Viz superb. Dolphin more active as were we in the deeper water. Joined by English couple, he an active diver so dolphin was spoilt with several keen divers!
Swim time 50 mins, dolphin time 45 mins
 Friday 12th July
Went down about 10:30am, dolphin in at the beach again in shallow water and stayed there all day till dusk? Sunny with light breeze. Graham and Kristin went in with Ute and three new girls visiting from Spanish Point. Swim time 90 mins dolphin time 90 mins! Kristin stayed in 120 mins, Ute much longer (3 ˝ hrs?!).
Keith arrived 2.35 pm and soon went in. After tea break Keith went in again from 6 to 7.30pm and kindly swam around very close to the rocks with stones etc while Kristin and I took photos and tried the hydrophone.
Saturday 13th July
Arrived first, so we thought, at 3rd cove, no sign of dolphin but Graham got in anyway at about 9am. Swam around for nearly an hour, no dolphin! As G and Kristin got out, Nike arrived with dolphin, having swum round from the slip, where (Paddy) had been swimming, as we later learnt! Keith now got in and had a good swim the three of them, Kristin and I were too cold to go back in. After 20 mins, dolphin headed north again so Keith and Nike followed after a while. We waited at rocks and eventually decided to walk round, as we were half way they arrived back again with dolphin and had great frolics in by the bollard rock.
 Thurs 26th July High tide, 5pm
People were already in at 2nd cove so we joined them there. Super clear viz. Graham swam with a couple of other snorkellers and two bat-type canoes. Dolphin said hello but only briefly as her attention was almost entirely on the canoes, who unfortunately hung around till dusk. Several other swimmers didn’t bother getting in because of this (Nike, Pia, Kristin, Ute). I got out after 20-30 mins.
Fri 27th July waning tide 9.30am
Ute and Tara in at 3rd cove. They got out before I got in, closely followed by Nike and Pia. Choppy but clear. Dolphin quite mellow with the ladies but very active with me. A lot of chasing around and diving down produced a number of exciting moments when she reared out of the water, flopped on her back etc, often in shallow surf around the bollard rock. In 60 mins+, dolphin there all the time.
 Later a dozen more people arrived and at lunchtime the lobster boat came so we went for a break. Returned at 2.30 high tide and swam about 3.30 – 4pm. Got cold quite quickly this time. Jan came then.
Keith and Julie arrived later and went in with the dolphin all to themselves at about 6.30 – 7.30pm.
Sat 28th July
Calm morning, high tide, clear viz at cove 3. Keith and Julie in first, dolphin mellow. Next in was Kristin, OK at first though she and Julie has problems with masks, then while Keith was sitting out on the rocks Dusty suddenly started poking Kristin and jaw-snapping. Kristin climbed up onto the rocks. Dolphin also snapped a bit at Julie. I took photos! Dusty came up to Kristin quietly and ‘apologetically’ and she stroked her from the safety of the rocks. After a while things seemed to be calm so she slipped back in again. Almost immediately Dusty got fresh again and even as Kristin was trying to get out she was poking her in the small of the back, pushing her against the rocks. Keith got in and pushed Dusty’s jaw out of the way while Kristin climbed right out of the water. I then sat on the rocks in the same spot and Dusty came quietly to be stroked, first with fins and then with the hand. I rubbed her all around the mouth to see if she would open it or snap at me but she didn’t so I slipped into the water and she was fine, very tactile. Both Keith and I were scratching and rubbing her for a long time and she was very mellow and cuddly.
 Neither Ute who was watching or Tara who came later could make this out. We wondered if Dusty wanted Keith all to herself? (but she only snapped at Julie briefly). Or was it relevant that Kristin had her period?
Later Ute went in followed by Tara. Other visitors arrived and by mid-afternoon there were half a dozen people in the water most of the time. Jan and Lisbeth swam with monofins etc and Keith and Julie again as well as Aiden and Stephanie, Ute and Pia and Tara. A bit hectic, too many swimmers for anyone to really build up an interaction but the first-timers especially had great fun.
Keith and Julie had a third session that evening. Dusty stole Keith’s monofin and he had to give it up for lost but she brought it back at the last minute!
Sun 29th July
Keith swam alone in the morning.
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