The weather has turned very windy out at sea so it seems unlikely we can go on to Key West as planned. We decided to hire a car and go by road instead. First stop though, the Dolphin Research Centre that is here in Marathon too. The facility was being refurbished so only one of the dolphin pens was accessible. We still managed to stay for about 4 hours and quiz the staff about life there.

There is definitely something about dolphins, not only can you sit and watch them for hours, but they also make you smile for most of that time. They definitely stare at us too.

Interesting facts for dolphins:

They slough the top layers of their skin every 2 hours – presumably to maintain optimum speed through the water.

Captive dolphins need water supplements so they put a hose down their throats and pour it in. No gag reflex and smaller than a fish and they seem to like it!  This dolphin is called Molly and she needs a rubber mat when she rests on the side of the platform because she is 56. The same age as me – if only she could write an autobiography. Apparently she was rescued from a facility that released two others into the wild without any rehabilitation where  they died.

Dolphins vocalise through their blowholes but seem to move their mouths when interacting with people to mimic us.

The research they do here is particularly looking at family traits as they have 3 generations here now but it is still needs to stimulate the dolphins and the tourists so they do perform – and draw on babygrows!

After the dolphins we drove on down the Keys and stopped at Big Key to see if we could find the Key Deer again. As with both other times I have been, they appeared on cue. We just drove off Route 1 for about 500m and they this one was. This time it is Claude getting licked by an endangered species. Very cute and very small.

Last stop for the day was Key West and the compulsory Dominic and his cat show. An eccentric Frenchman, who has apparently been doing this show for about 40 years. The cats seem happy enough and wait of their assigned stools, washing their faces after their rewards of chicken or prawns. Max helped this time, rewarded with a postcard rather than raw chicken.

And then the sunset. Not only a significant place to be, at the very end of America but it seems to provide stunning sunsets most evenings too. We joined the many to photograph the event.

The sky went from dull to spectacular.

We had supper in Margaritaville, one of a small chain of restaurant owned by Jimmy Buffett and named after one of his more famous song titles.