Open Season

As a currency trader for a fund who’s two main offices are in the Chicago and London time zones, my working life occurs in the early hours of the west coast morning. My first trades usually occur around 5 a.m. which means 4 am wake up times. Despite rising before the average person’s alarm clock even thinks about chirping, I usually get to jump in the ocean, thus ending my responsibilities, around 11 a.m.

I’ve chosen this lifestyle because nothing in the world makes me happier than surfing. I’m allowed to do what most people dream of, and that’s doing what I love almost everyday. One funny aspect of surfing in the middle of the week day is that I get the typically busy Manhattan beaches to myself. Being in the ocean alone frightens most, but I relish in the opportunity for solitude in busy Los Angeles.

Without thousands of tourists plaguing the water during the week, the local wildlife has a chance to peak their head above water. I get to see some incredible animals on a daily basis; dolphins, seals, all kinds of fish, although my favorites are still the hunting pelicans. If you know what to look for it’s not as spooky as it seems. Dolphins have a curved dorsal fin and bob up and down whereas sharks have a straight triangular fin and swim in a straight line.

Recently the dolphins have entered mating season. The males are ultra aggressive. They flash their tails and leap out of the water. I watched two compete the other day for a female’s attention by seeing which one could slap the water the hardest. It’s incredible how drastic their behavior changes when sex is involved. The normally docile animals become feverishly active.

After going out to the bars in Venice last weekend after the first warm Friday of spring I can safely say that human males still undergo this same transformation. I also thought it was really interesting that babies were the subject of the first official spring time blog entries. We are decedents of animals and despite our best efforts towards sophistication, we remain animals.