Bucket List Shot - Bottlenose Dolphon - 10.08.12

Okay, I'm going to finish Corkscrew Swamp, but I had to pop out to post this one shot.

This is, somewhat obviously, a Common Bottlenose Dolphin.

I took about 500 shots yesterday at Stump Pass (Englewood, Florida) but this was the best one.  And really, it's one of my bucket list shots - a good, clear shot of a dolphin breaching. 

We were really surprised to see them so close to the shore - maybe fifty yards from the beach we were standing on - and for so long, given the horrible Red Tide that's going on right now.  But we stood there for what had to be half an hour watching a pod of at least five of them.  I'll edit a few more of the shots that show their dorsal fins and such, but I had to get up this one.  I'm ridiculously pleased with it.