The time before sunset

I live at the beach and try to take the time to watch all of the beautiful sunsets. Yet this weekend I enjoyed the beach at a different time, with a different kind of light. It was about four and the sun was low in the sky but not yet setting. As I sat and starred out at my view of the ocean, the Newport pier and the few lone sail boats, dolphins began to jump put of the water. Of course the lighting was magical and beautiful before this point. It made a a golden glistening stream that covered the top layer of the whole ocean. But when the dolphins began playing and jumping they too were bathed in the golden layer of the sun; their fins when they were swimming and then their whole bodies when they jumped. This was unlike anything I had ever seen before. This had so much in common with the way actors are lit by light on stage. I'm used to seeing the ocean change it's color and be effected by light but this was something special, to see an actual animal from that ocean be covered in that same glow. In the split seconds I would see them jump the light was not only glowing but shimmering because it was mixed with their wet, rubbery, reflecting skin. The effect was so cool and caused me to sit there being transfixed by the way the light landed on them. I was not expecting to watch the light at this time and could not be fast enough with my cell phone to capture the dolphins but I will try again and add it onto my next blog!