By Lee Scott
Recently, my spouse and I did a boat delivery from Beaufort up to the Chesapeake Bay. We have done this trip numerous times and for some reason, it never gets boring.
It seems like there is something always going on like, dolphins playing in the boat wake and unusual birds sitting on the side of the marsh. Then there are kayakers, paddle boarders, and jet skis gliding by as you pass through their territory.
No matter how many times we make this trip, something happens, and this time it was something totally unique.
I was at the helm of the sailboat and my spouse was below looking at the chart book. As I looked down the river, it appeared that a bunch of boats were gathering around some object in the water. At first I thought it was a large inflatable raft, but when I looked with the binoculars, I thought I saw an elephant in the water.
Now, I do not take drugs, nor am I on any medication, but this was unreal.
“Uh, honey!” I called.
“Yes.”
“I believe there is an elephant playing in the river ahead of us.”
“A what?” he asked.
“An elephant. And I am pretty sure there is a black Labrador dog on his back.”
My spouse came up from below, looked through the binoculars and casually said, “Yup, that is an elephant with a lab on his back.” (As if we see this sight all the time)
He took over the helm and I grabbed my camera and started to take pictures. The two animals were frolicking in the water and people were everywhere laughing and enjoying the scene.
The dog would climb on the elephant’s back, then the elephant would stand up and the dog would leap off into the water. They had this routine down well.
I started sending texts out to my family and friends and received an e-mail from my son-in-law, Matt. “Check out the YouTube video. That is Bella and Bubbles.”
Evidently, the two are part of the Myrtle Beach Safari.
Bubbles was adopted as an ivory orphan in 1983. She grew from 300 pounds to 9,000 pounds and the Safari decided to have a pool built for her.
In 2007, the contractor who was building the pool, abandoned a little puppy at The Preserve. Before long, the two became close buddies.
If you get a chance to see the video check the two out playing ball. And if you happen to be traveling down the Intracoastal Waterway and see an elephant and dog in the water, don’t worry. It is just Bella and Bubbles.
To see a video of the two, Google “Bella and Bubbles.”
