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Vol. 24 The Sea of the Dolphin. Mikura Island in Izu. |
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Vol. 24 The Sea of the Dolphin. Mikura Island in Izu. |
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On the sea bottom of Mikura Island, there are lots of blackened rocks due to the influence of the volcanoes. Dolphins were swimming in formation in the sea within this unique atmosphere. |
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I visited Mikura Island, one of the seven islands of Izu, to see the dolphins. It was about ten years ago when it was discovered that more than 100 bottle nosed dolphins were living around the island. Since the edge of the island consists of sheer cliffs, even the people who live on the island, could not easily get to the beach. This unique environment benefited the dolphins and they have lived safely around the island and have been increasing their numbers over the last 10 years. But then again, I have heard that many tourists coming to Mikura and Miyake Island hoping to get one glimpse of the dolphins are increasing year by year.
Dr. Jacque Moyer, an ecologist researching the marine life and lives on Miyake Island, has been a friend of over 20 years since I came make a living photographing marine creatures. With him as a guide, we left Miyake Island on a boat to watch the dolphins. There was a strong southerly wind on that day. Near the beach on the south western part of Mikura Island, seven to eight dolphins approached our boat. Immediately, I jumped into the sea with Dr. Moyer and invited them to play with us. Dr. Moyer who is just shy of 70, dived into a depth of nearly 10 meters with no equipment and played with the dolphins. It looked as though they were entwined around each other. I wondered if he was all right. The dolphins here calmly swim around and play with man at a comfortable distance because the local people understand their behavior and are not persistent in following them and do not surprise them. It had been a while since I had seen dolphins and they were indeed wonderful creatures. From the perspective of the current dolphin boom, they seem like mysterious creatures but to me, the charm of a dolphin is the fact that they are a wonderful wild creature. Recently, I found a strange article in an American newspaper. It spoke about the cruelty of dolphins and the dangers of dolphin watching. It described the behavior of dolphins that attack and kill even creatures that it does not intend to eat and concluded that swimming in the same sea with such an animal was fraught with danger. The end point of dolphin worship, which was a rather one sided Western view, expressed disappointment at the fact that dolphins do not behave according to God's wishes. Reading such an article, I was struck deeply by how selfishly we human beings judge other creatures. I believe that wild nature includes heartless cruelty, holy nobility, and sweetness. To love all its aspects is important. Swimming with the dolphins, this is what I contemplated.
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