Marathon- Week 1

I have stayed in Boot Key (city of Marathon in Florida Keys) for a week and I have enjoyed the events at the marina and the community as well as the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key. I really enjoyed watching the dolphins swimming and doing tricks at the Dolphin Research Center. I learned that dolphins people watch by turning their bodies to one side and staying still so they can look with one eye up at the people visiting. I learned that dolphins and porpoises are not even the same species so you can't use their names interchangeably. I got to see a cute baby dolphin swimming around with its mother in a separate area. I found it very difficult to take pictures of the dolphins when they are swimming and doing tricks, so instead I took videos of them to be able to capture their actions. An interesting tidbit is that they filmed Flipper here at the research center and some other dolphins were trained along with the star of the show to perform the tricks. It is important to note that the dolphins can leave at anytime because the nets that separate the areas are very low so they could jump out if they wanted, but they don't leave because they are domesticated and aren't trained to survive in the wild ocean. Often times the dolphins were rescued and brought to the research center so they could be nursed back to health and some of them are pregnant and have their babies at the research center, which is how dolphins come to be domesticated at the center. There were other animals including sea lions, various types of birds in cages, and wild chickens & peacocks walking freely. There is a small area with a man-made waterfall and plants to sit and enjoy the weather or scenery. The research center wasn't big, but you could spend 1-2 hrs watching the dolphins. When I watched the dolphins doing their show, I saw a small group of people who paid to have an up close and personal interaction with the dolphins. It was pretty neat to watch them "ride" on the dolphins.
I watched my first boat parade, which was neat with the boats decorated with Christmas lights and other decorations to see and hear at night. Some boats had used the lights to make neat designs like Christmas trees and some boats had people dressing up like Santa Claus and the last boat had a cannon that they shot powder out making a loud boom. We enjoyed watching the parade from our friends (GR & Jessica) boat and met a couple of their friends as well.
The following afternoon, the marina had an event just for the ladies called a Footcial (Pedicure) Party. It was nice to get together with the women in the marina to have a chance for girl talk, how they live on the boat, to conserve fresh water, and any other handy tips for the boat. I enjoyed the hot water foot soak while sipping on a cold beverage and even indulged myself by painting my toenails. :) I thought it was a nice free event that brought women together in such a male dominated area. It was a success and they decided to have another one next month.
I have been attending the free group yoga classes every morning (except Sunday) at the community park located next to the marina. They have a beginners and intermediate yoga class on alternating days, which is good to help with my flexibility and balance. The instructors are not certified so they just lead the sessions from what they know. I like the group workout because it is motivating when there is a set time and place to exercise. This is a good community for cruisers. People are friendly, there are things to do and places to go near the marina.