Why Did Dolphin Board Center Console?

An Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin jumped aboard an 18’ center console
while a couple and their daughter were cruising early this month in South Florida.
The incident made national TV network news. But ever since the incident a debate
has been raging as to why the dolphin jumped aboard. One marine biologist said the
dolphin was a baby and must have been lost. Another said it must have been escaping
Jaws. Others contend that the aquatic mammal was after the crew’s anchovy sandwiches.

Re-creation of event in Florida. NOTE: Professional stunt dolphin, no animals were harmed in this re-creation.

The boaters said that the day started uneventfully with the two couples taking a
leisurely cruise from the Edgewater boat ramps north up the Intracoastal and into
the backwaters near the Quay Assisi subdivision. "We were going under the bridge,
and the next thing I knew I had a big old fish on top of us!"



Reportedly, their first thought after the dolphin landed in their laps was to get
it out of the boat. But as they pushed the flapping creature away, it knocked them
to the boat's deck, and began smacking them with its tail.



"That thing had a good punch, Mike Tyson does not hit that hard," said the owner
of the boat. While one of the men used his legs to push, the other grabbed the animal
and finally rolled it off the front of the center console.


Capt. Steve Says: “So what have we learned?”




The report above says it all. “The next thing I knew I had a big old fish on top
of us!”



Hello…dolphins are not fish, they are mammals, and they’re sick of getting thought
of as fish when they’re so much smarter than any fish. As soon as a boater comes
by who still thinks of dolphins as fish, they’re going to open up a can of whoop-ass
on the unsuspecting guy in short order.



Obviously, that was the case here. Let’s all learn from this guy’s error and give
the dolphins the respect they deserve. We’ll all be safer boaters for it.



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Okay, readers, Capt. Steve says the dolphin was teed off about being called a dumb
fish, someone else said it was after an anchovy sandwich, and a marine biologist
says it was a confused baby – clearly there is no consensus of opinion. We invite
those of you who are qualified – repeat, qualified – to render a judgment on this
mystery to let us know why the dolphin strayed off his ranch.