By Capt. Chris Thalmann Contributing Writer
Hello everyone! As our Coronavirus restrictions have begun to ease, I know we’re all hoping for more improvements this summer so we can get a better look at what the future will look like.
When authorities started telling people in March that it was safest to stay home, many did just that. Some folks spent weeks or longer at home and many were inside for days on end. Curiously, wildlife sightings in neighborhoods and in cities all over the world seemed to soar at about this same time.
Lions just lying around on roads in South Africa. Red foxes roaming Prince Edward Island. Coyotes in San Francisco. Mountain lions in the backyards of Boulder. Gators and gopher tortoises gone wild in Florida. Was wildlife taking back the world? Maybe not so much. But they may very well have been taking the chance to explore their surroundings with all the humans safely tucked away indoors.
Of course, people have been living in close proximity to wildlife for eons. I don’t know that wild animals have ever gotten used to us exactly – more likely they’re just hyper aware of the presence of people. And our absence as well.
It’s a little ironic actually – millions of people spend weeks inside their homes where they feel safest – only to look outside and see wildlife freely roaming their neighborhood streets, golf courses, ballfields, parks, pools, and waterways. Talk about a role reversal!
I know we saw some relaxed wildlife during that time, and quite a lot too! On one osprey research trip we counted 33 adult and hatchling osprey, saw three river otters swimming across the ICW, a momma manatee and her calf near Jupiter Lighthouse and a pod of dolphins just outside the inlet on the way home.
As society opens again and people resume more normal activities, our roles with wildlife will reverse again. Until that happens, take a few minutes to look for those quiet, calm places outdoors. Away from the crowds, the noise, and the constant motion of humanity. These places often provide overlaps between wildlife spaces and human spaces and can offer some great opportunities to see nature up close.
If you have the time and patience, try slowing down and creating your own overlaps. Anchor and take an hour on late afternoons to look for sea turtles swimming along the coastline. Admire the amazing fishing skills of an osprey as it catches its next meal. If you see a pod of wild dolphins just offshore on a calm day, try turning off your motors for 15-20 minutes and just drift. You may be rewarded with dolphins coming alongside to check you out, especially if yours is the only boat not rocketing along the water!
Whatever you choose to do with your time outdoors, here’s hoping for a summer we can all enjoy. Hope to see you out there!
Captain Chris Thalmann
Owner | Aqua
Adventure Tours, Inc.
aquaadventuretours.com