Floating Horses and Flying Dolphins
When arriving in any new city, animal attractions, unusual events, and photo opportunities are my initial draw. An awesome animal encounter that would have certainly slipped under my radar had it not been an exceedingly thoughtful Valentine’s day gift was the C Ponies Adventure in Tampa, FL.
Sea Horses
I have seen the blissful and romantic pictures of horse and rider combing the beach at sunset and have always wanted to experience that. But, actually riding a swimming horse is beyond my comprehension.
Arriving at the designated beach, the first thing I notice is the large girth, long flowing manes and tails of our equine hosts. The horses seem happy munching on hay and patiently waiting to meet their appointed guest for an afternoon swim.
I am assigned the only male and largest on the bunch, Uni (pronounced ooni). Uni is an imposing gypsy vanner breed of horse. Despite my recent appetite for kumquat pie, I am still well under his 280lb weight limit.
These beautiful Drum and Gypsy horses are of Irish descent and are one of the rarest breeds of horses. 90% of the C Ponies herd are rescues and have survived mills where overbreeding and underfeeding were too common. It has been determined that the ocean waters heal not only the physical ailments but also the compromised mental condition of these horses.
Rider Up
It’s a warm February afternoon though water temperatures have yet to rise much above 70. I am sure the horses are well equipped for a chilly dip, but I have my reservations. After a quick briefing on rein placement, steering, stopping, and final stirrup adjustments, the 7 or so of us trod into the Palma Sola Bay.
The horses generally fall in line but bounce and jockey for their preferred position. I slightly pull right, then left, and add a little kick to test drive the thing and he’s very responsive. Never one to be very confident on a horse, I’m put a little at ease with his immediate positive response to my suggestion of course.
With a sudden whoosh, the water rises to the bottom of the saddle. My feet float out of the stirrups and anxiety builds as I feel out of control. Almost immediately, however, I regain foot placement. Not sure if it’s the adrenaline spike or maybe because of the 1,500lb heater below me but I never ever really notice the coolness of the water.
Shortly into the trip, a curious yellow fog begins to billow in the water before me, soon followed by some apple-sized “bobbers”. It now occurs to me that Stella, an American Drum, has decided to lighten her load to retain buoyancy.
I don’t feel overly concerned as Uni glides right through the minefield with the apple bombs bouncing from my legs. However, my face must tell a different story as the guide yells back “Don’t panic, it’s organic!”
Tricks are for Kids
Before the horses ever attain a full-fledged swim, we gather around for photo opportunities and the option to perform the circus trick of standing up on the horse.
I am finally confident and comfortable in the saddle and don’t dare jeopardize that for a photo op and opt to stay seated as others make the trick look easy.
Now it’s showtime! We make some wide sweeping loops into the bay where for a few moments the horses barely touch bottom and become waterborne.
The final loop, however, is into deeper water and the ride back to shore is a five-minute all-out swim. The ride is smooth and the weightless gait is soft as the horses lunge forward with each paddle stroke. The mood of the crowd and horses is giddy as we giggle, neigh, whoop, and whinny. Reminds me much of the Chincoteague Pony Swim.
The hour-long venture wraps up on shore with our trusty steeds and some well-deserved hugs, kisses, and carrots as we pose for a few final pictures.
Dolphin Racer –
Any time we cross any of the bay bridges, fins are seen rising and falling among the waves. It is filled with bottle-nosed dolphins. I am beyond intrigued when I see an advertisement for the Dolphin Racer. This adventure is billed as a high speed narrated excursion with a guarantee of dolphin encounters. Overwhelmed with the gift of the pony swim, I feel an urge to try to reciprocate and book a trip.
We arrive at the Corey Causeway in St. Petersburg and there are maybe 10 people ahead of us just sitting around on the benches along the dock. I quickly surmise the best viewing location will be the back of the boat so we position ourselves right at the rope blocking the gangplank. We prepare to grab the coveted back row of seats once the boarding starts. Surprisingly, no one else seems to care where they sit. We, on the other hand, jostle for a front-row view.
Firmly ensconced in our rear perch the boat and about 25 passengers exit the dock heading through the Boca Ciega Bay towards Tampa Bay. As promised, the tour is narrated with some facts and figures about dolphins but I’m pretty sure few are really interested in that as heads are swiveling looking for our first pod of dolphins
Maybe 5 minutes in, the captain spots a small pod as turns the boat parallel with their path. He pushes the throttle forward and the diesel engines smoke and roar as a 5-foot wake boils up behind us. Soon the first bottlenose wave surfer takes flight. The speed and the apparent ease with which these mammals travel is astounding.
Shooting 3 feet above the waves and twisting to land on its side the dolphin seems to be putting on a show for us. However, dolphins shed their skin every 3 hours and this jumping twisting maneuver helps to remove the shedding skin.
The boat Captain has instructed us to cheer and wave as an encouragement to dolphins to perform for us. The mostly sedate crowd left the yelling and cheering to Ainslie and me. We were the only ones whooping and cheering, like kids on a rollercoaster, with each airborne dolphin.
This routine repeats itself 4-5 times as we near the gulf and turn around to head back to the dock. The whole experience is so exhilarating we return 2 days later to do it again, it’s $25 well spent.
Bonus Chicken
Ybor City is a historic neighborhood in Tampa. While attending a weekly Saturday market, I keep hearing the crowing of roosters. I venture off the main drag and find a dozen colorful birds roaming the streets,
The wild chicken population that currently resides in Ybor City are direct descendants of the chickens that lived in the backyards of the neighborhoods earliest, mostly Cuban, residents decades ago.
The city embraces the chickens crossing the streets and are a welcome sight for those who live, work and visit the area.
There are many places to catch glimpses of the strikingly colorful fowl. I find the most visiting the farmers market in Centennial Park. It becomes a game of hide-and-seek, peeking around each building, bush, and corner wondering what spectacular plumage awaits.
Tampa certainly answers the call for my quest to find the unique, the unusual, and photographic opportunities. The only thing missing are flying pigs, but I’ll keep looking.
When not on the road, he helps others fulfill their yearning to travel as a Membership Specialist for Thousand Trails.