Sorry for the delay in posting our blog… We had IRMA! We are happy to report that everything came through ok, in fact Tampa and Sarasota was very lucky, …again… at the last minute the storm took a right turn and went inland enough to prevent huge damage. We are hurting for those to the east because they got hit hard. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, many of you texted and replied to our Facebook posts too, thank you. Lets get back to boating!!!
20′ Carolina Skiff 198DLV – The Dolphin
Our final and largest Carolina Skiff is the Dolphin. This 20’ (technically 19’8”) Skiff is a 198DLV has a capacity of 10 persons, 2 livewells, 5” Lowrance GPS and depth finder, center console configuration, swim ladder, 2 anchors, leaner captain seat, all USCG safety equipment, fishing pole holders, and a full bimini. This boat is excellent for fishing the bays and intercoastal areas or for cruising around sandbars or other points of interest with friends and family. The flat bottom allows for shallow running and great stability but is not the best for choppy water. It has a 90 HP E-Tech 2 stroke motor that provides plenty of 
speed and power with fairly efficient gas consumption still, usually $20-$30 per day. This boat is an excellent value at only $250 per day plus tax, delivery, and fuel. Call 813-BLU-WAVE or click here to reserve the boat directly on our website.
We make no secret that we love seeing dolphins from the BluWave fleet. These animals are graceful and elegant. They make you smile every time you spot one and get a close up encounter with one. Sarasota Bay is reportedly having a bumper crop of baby dolphins this year, lots of babies seen around the bay with their moms this summer. We can see them porpoising from the water in a full breach from time to time, what a breath taking sight for sure! We enjoy getting them to play in our wake as we enter or leave a channel getting out to Egmont Key or Honeymoon Island.
The dolphin was brought into the limelight years ago by a TV show we all know as “Flipper” from the Florida Keys and of course by the celebrity training status of SeaWorld
and many other zoos and aquariums around the country. More recently and from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium right here was the story of Winter (Dolphin Tale), the dolphin whose tail was amputated and then fitted with a prosthetic tail successfully. These animals grabbed the hearts and attention of millions of fans but also scientists many years ago because of their amazing brains and communication ability.
The dolphin is not a fish, but a mammal due to the fact it has mammary glands and they nurse their young, even underwater, they are warm blooded, and they breathe air. Dolphins can hold their breath as long as 8-10 minutes and can dive 500 or more feet deep. They are very smart, capturing the interest of the navy long ago with hopes of using them for reconnaissance on submarines and other dangerous marine devices like mines. Dolphins navigate the waters with echolocation, similar to sonar. They proved to be successful enough to prolong the research and understanding about their communication techniques and their sonar abilities. I am not sure the dolphin possesses all the abilities that our famous friend from the 60’s TV could do for his little boy caretaker, but they are certainly smart and talented. Face it, we all love the performances we see in dolphin shows at aquariums and zoos around the country.
Winter from Dolphin Tale
Dolphins are social and live in groups of 2-50 or more called pods. Dolphins are related to whales and porpoises by classification. There are over 40 species of dolphins 
including spinner, bottle-nose, spotted, and Orca or killer whales. They all breathe air with lungs through the blow hole on their dorsal surface. They have a pronounced large dorsal fin much like a shark but when moving through the water they “porpoise” up and down or arching through the water where a shark moves side to side and runs level through the water. Dolphins’ diet consists primarily of schooling fish. They have sharp teeth but don’t tear apart their prey like sharks, they swallow smaller schooling fish whole.
When you are out on one of our boats, we certainly hope you have the chance to spot and see dolphins; the Suncoast is filled with dolphins and dolphin stories. When you do see them, take time to post your stories and pictures on our Facebook page, we look forward to it.
