*** Flying Fish Swarm Bella Donna ***
Hundreds of flying fish fly in formation taking off and forming a low cloud over the sea turning one way then another as if putting on an air show, then land again a couple of hundred yards away. One lost his way and joined us for dinner, helplessly flopping on deck; John attempted to help the pilot back into the water. After several failed attempts the captain scoops up the now frantic flyer with both hands and launches him over the stern to rejoin his comrades. Crossing the Atlantic a year and a half ago, the flying fish flew higher. Attracted to light they would fly into the fly bridge and hit us. If you forgot to close your screen on your bedroom hatch you may be sleeping with a flying fish.
*** Dolphins Come From Everywhere to Play With Bella Donna ***
The sea has been quiet and empty for many days now as we pass through the middle of nowhere. Today suddenly we rejoiced to meet a large group of new friends. Suddenly dolphins were swiftly coming straight to Bella Donna from all directions. They looked like school children that have discovered a new game to play. One dolphin comes completely out of the water and does a big summersault. Others swim alongside Bella Donna just a few feet below the crystal clear water. They are so fast they swim circles around us and entertain us just like trained dolphins in Hawaii. After 10 minutes they wave a tail good-bye to us and swim off to seek other adventures. We must be entering Marquesas waters.
*** Big Ocean Swells are Fun ***
The Pacific is known for huge hills, swells, of water 15 to 30 feet high and 60 to 120 feet from one side to the other; I have seen much higher and wider. Today they are gently passing under Bella Donna from Port to Starboard with a stern to bow direction, a little behind us. This means that in the valley you see hills of water rising over your head. As the hill passes under us you feel a slight turn to starboard. At the top of the hill you are in a 3 story building looking out a limitless picture window at the sea. Then Bella Donna begins to surf down the face of the hill, picking up speed and turning the bow to port as the starboard bow reaches the bottom of the hill first. Repeat these thousands of times in a variable rhythm and that is the motion of the day, a dance controlled by the autopilot. The wind did not show up for work today and the sails left for home early. This ride would be even more exciting with the pull of sails contributing to the speed and the rhythm of the dance.
God Bless Bella Donna.
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