Dolphins Guide a Sailor to Land
The Awareness of Dolphins
It was a nice evening for sailing. There was a steady wind and a solid cloud bank that didn't look like it would rain. So I went out into the gulf on my kayak with the sail up enjoying the breeze. A perfect cross wind carried me easily straight out away from shore into the ocean. It was easy sailing with no need to tack back and forth. I enjoyed the time with the water, the wind and the warm evening. As I sailed I watching the mottled cloud surface above. After I reached a couple miles out I turned around and started heading straight back in. pointed back towards shore.
It was nice smooth sailing straight back in. The cross wind was perfect. Then something unexpected happened. The clouds gently dropped down. The entire solid cloud cover just lowered down all the way to meet the water. In a few minutes I found myself in dense thick fog. I could see maybe fifty feet in any direction. This made things interesting.
I sailed on as I thought this through. It was still warm and a steady wind was bringing me towards the coast. It wasn't far, maybe a half mile to go or more. But I needed to find the boat ramp in this heavy fog. The ramp was a ways down a channel, one of many on this very lumpy and irregular stretch of coast. I knew to the right of me in about five or ten miles was a town. And I knew there was nothing at all to the left of me for a very long distance up the coast. In neither direction were there any identifiable landmarks for a long while if I missed the boat dock. I needed to reach the only boat dock on this stretch. If I missed it do I turn port or starboard? With this fog even things I may recognize on all other days wouldn't look the same today. And even at that I couldn't see them till just 50 feet away. How would I know I was in the right channel with all these little finger ways of water?
I continued sailing as I thought more.
I knew the wind direction and my boats angle to the wind. I was heading straight towards the dock, as of a little while ago. I could see it ahead in the far distance till the fog came in. I wondered if the wind might slightly roll to a new direction with this sudden drop in the clouds. The shift in weather could easily come with a slight change in the wind. So trusting my course was about the best logical approach I had, but could easily steer me in a slightly different course.
This is about when I noticed the sky was getting darker. Oh yea, this is the evening. The sun is getting lower. I could picture an images of me paddling poking about on the shore as a tree or bush showed up in view and trying to discern in the ever darkening fog if I recognized it. The dock would be empty this evening so there would be no lights to help. I could be out here till morning.
As I sailed on with the last bearing, I reached out and said God I kind of could use some help down here. I knew it wouldn't be an impossible night but it could be a very long one as I paddled about the coast blindly looking. I realized I didn't have a light in the dry bag. Braille kayaking could be amusing.
Just then the water beside me splashed. Two dolphins raised their heads out, looked at me, and chattered. Big Smiles and talking away. Just as quickly they dove back in and swam ahead of me on the surface with their fins showing. Clearly they were trying to be visible.
I said I'm with you and followed them paddling some to add to the sail speed. They moved quickly. At one point I said "You guys have to go slower. You're going to lose me." They slowed down and I kept following them. They were going in a straight line which is unusual. I had Faith. Soon the shore started to appear and I realized we were already in the channel. With the fog I couldn't even see the two sides till they became narrower. Then out of the fog the boat ramp came into view. Hallelujah! They took me exactly to the boat ramp! They knew where I needed to go and led me straight there. A Miracle! They just as quickly spun around and did another chatter and sped off back towards the deeper water. What a Blessing.
How many times have we prayed for help and magically in a short while someone shows up to help, or when we ask for something it miraculously appears. On that day I was saved a long night by a Blessing of Dolphins and help from above.
Perhaps Dolphin Deliverance ?