He followed us home. Can we keep him?

The Belize River rises in northeastern Guatemala and winds 180 miles along the northern edge of the Maya Mountains, emptying into the Caribbean sea just north of Belize City. One of the cruise ship excursions is a ride down a 25 mile stretch of this river in a 40-person open boat, winding through a stretch of jungle before reaching the populated coastal area.

A chance for sighting local flora and fauna was the advertised objective of this trip and we aced it. Howler monkeys in the trees noisily marked our passing while indifferent crocodiles snoozed along the river banks. We saw fruit bats sleeping off the day, iguanas galore (they call them "bamboo chicken") basking in the sun, and manatees feeding (look quick - all you see is their nose as they come up for air).

And this guy met us several miles upstream.



This bottle-nose dolphin followed us down the river for several miles, entertaining us with frequent leaps out of the boat wake, then racing in front of the boat to wait and take up the chase again. Normally salt-water mammals, this guy, according to the guide, has been seen as far as 15 miles upstream, far from the brackish water that usually marks their boundary.