October 28/09 A Scare While Viewing Dolphins in the Cove

Was walking past the Whale Museum looking for a trash can to throw out my coffee can....when I passed a man sleeping in a car facing the cliff of the look out point towards the cove. Immediately it gave me a bad feeling....then I turned the corner of the cove and discovered Pilot Whales (or dolphins) trapped again...with two men guarding the area.

Decided to walk up the cliff..(guy still sleeping)....to get a better look at the situation. There was now a bus driver parked taking a smoking break - so any scream from me would hopefully be loud enough for him to hear if anyone was up there waiting to get hostile. Half way up the stairs I heard the bus pull away. As soon as I reached the top noticed that it had been even more blocked than before. Even the path at the end of the fence had been blocked (there must be surveillance cameras up there). Climbed a tree and then stepped on a fence they put up which completely collapsed-oh,oh, they are going to be mad! Had a feeling the area would be booby trapped - was right... There was barb wire ankle high tied between trees...good thing i had no camera, otherwise it would have sliced through my legs if I was walking fast. Which is what I did last time (walking fast)! Was poking every step before me with a stick...these guys are serious..

Looking out from the cliff into the killing cove, it was so sunny that day....the sun's reflection off the water made it difficult to see (was squinting hard). Saw a group of what looked like pilot whales somewhat bunched together with a baby and younger ones and with up to three to four more energetic ones circling...Perhaps they were males circling to protect...however they were not as large as some others in the group and "seemed" lighter in color. Perhaps the fishermen had driven in more than one species of dolphin. Counted 15 - 20 fins in total in the Cove......Was trying hard to make out the shape of the heads on the ones circling- when i heard a sound in the bushes... in retrospect, it could have been a bird...but it terrified me and I panicked and retraced my steps back....stepping around obstacles and trying to avoid any booby traps..... my instincts were telling me to leave....