Whilst searching for Dolphins...

 

 When we sail around the Ionian Islands we are always thrilled and excited to see wild dolphins, they give you such a "feel good factor" and the experience makes you come into the harbour at the end of a good day's sail with an even a bigger grin on your face!
Well this year sailing on Mintaka we didn't actually see any dolphins-Although, I like to think that in the strong windy days when Skipper and I were busy with "all hands on deck" that there were dolphins riding our bow wave in the froth and thrill of the wind and waves! ...

Here are some photos of what we did see, the first is of shoals of fish, We feed  them with bread and ship's biscuits from the bathing platform on the boat, when you swim with them they never touch you, but you can get up really close, Skipper loves to snorkel and take an underwater camera with him.

 

Here is a blue octopus, amazing colour and a beautiful creature, but I'm glad I was on the pontoon taking this shot and not actually swimming with it.

 

 A red starfish about the size of your hand.

 

And this cricket, with a body about the size of your thumb and legs extending to make him as big as your hand, Skipper had quite a shock when it decided to climb up his shorts!!

 

Safely removed pretty promptly he took a photo! In vivid green, black and yellow what an interesting fellow.