He assumed the rescue was a singular event, but then the presents began.
Two months prior, near Key Largo, Florida, he saw something struggling in the shallow water. Upon approaching with his boat, he found a baby dolphin caught in fishing line. The calf was struggling, desperately trying to breathe, while its mother remained nearby, distressed.
He quickly stopped the engine and reached out to bring the terrified animal aboard. Carefully, he removed the line from its fins and tail, then gently released it back into the water. The dolphins stayed at the surface, observing him for a few moments before departing.
He believed that was the end of it, until two months later. Back on the water, he saw the same dolphins approach his boat. The calf, now more robust, surfaced with a fish in its mouth. It swam to him, placed the fish at his boat, and vanished.
The next week, it repeated, but this time, the gift was a vibrant orange starfish. The following week, it was a large sea cucumber. And it continued. Every week since, the young dolphin has arrived with a new offering from the sea, as if attempting to repay a debt.
“I didn’t anticipate anything in return,” the man stated. “But it’s as if they remember. It’s as if they’re expressing gratitude, in their own way.”