The Annual Delray Affair Brings Art to Town

The 49th Delray Affair took place this past weekend. Atlantic Avenue was shutdown to traffic and flooded with tents and vendors with anything from ethnic cuisine to tiki hut art for sale. While the numerous creators came with their arts and crafts the "Affair" also provided musical entertainment with jazz and cover bands.

The 10 block long "Affair" is one of the oldest of it's kind in South Florida. Some examples of what was for sale included an array of colorful tye-dye shirts and signs for the garden. The "Affair" is a family event with small rides for children and toys for sale as well.

One of the most notable memories of the Delray Affair for me was from a couple seasons ago when they had a card and crayon station set up so that people could send a thank you letter to the soldiers overseas.

Boca finds Trouble Following in Delray's Footsteps to Ban Shark Fishing

In 2009 Delray Beach's city commission was able to pass an ordinance that banned shark fishing from it's beaches. The decision was brought on by safety complaints from residents as well as conservationists who argued that sharks do not do well as "hook and line" fish. 

While Delray may have been successful in their attempt to pass the ordinance, Boca Raton, however, was not. The city ran into multiple problems when fishermen argued that their right to fish is embedded in the Florida Constitution; a fact not brought up in the Delray case.

While the decision to ban shark fishing from Boca's beaches has yet to come up since addressed by the Marine Advisory Board in February there can still be cement blocks attached to liter line found on the beaches of Delray (a sure sign that people are still shark fishing).

A dead, pregnant Hammerhead shark washes up on Delray Beach last summer with a hook and line in it's mouth

Lobster Season has Generous Yield off Delray and Boca Coasts

Many people visit South Florida for not only the sand and sea but also what it yields.  The Florida Spiny Lobster is a favorite amongst Florida natives and visitors alike.

Lobster season started back in August and has just ended March 31st. Lobsters off our coasts may be taken in bag limits of 6 max per person, must meet the designated length and not possess eggs.

Every year, Capt. Tony and his boat The Diversity take locals off the Boca and Delray coast to collect their limit on the last two days of the season. This year, there were plenty of lobsters for anyone licensed to hunt; the divers took the lobsters back to the dock and had a cookout.

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins off the coast of Delray Beach

It's days like this that I have an overwhelming love for my job. I'm a divemaster aboard a boat that takes people about a mile offshore of Boca and Delray to do some underwater exploring. Some of the wildlife that divers experience on board daily, include sharks, rays and turtles. But this particular day we were lucky enough to interact with something other than fish.

While watching for surfacing divers I noticed a commotion on the surface. Captain Tony drove the boat over to the splashing surface only to discover a pod of playful dolphins. But these weren't just any dolphins they were Atlantic Spotted dolphins a species known for their playful bow riding and acrobatics. And that's just what these dolphins did.

The video speaks for itself, so enjoy watching these brilliant mammals that share just as much a desire to interact with us as we did with them.

An American Bulldog in Delray is in need of a home after being rescued from a Miami Shelter

A canine disease called distemper has broke out in a north Miami animal shelter this past Thursday. The large shelter housed around 500 dogs that were either infected with the mostly lethal disease or susceptible to catch it in a short amount of time. The shelter evacuated any dogs that weren't infected to other shelters and foster homes and the ones that were unable to be taken were euthanized.

With dogs of my own I wasn't a candidate to foster in the event that one of the dogs from the shelter could pass on the disease to one, or both, of mine. So I turned to my bachelor friend James who has a house all to himself and no animals what-so-ever.

Hours later a beautiful American Bulldog mix was delivered on to James' doorstep. She thankfully licked everyone there awaiting her arrival (and mystery breed) and made her self at home. Though James is fostering "Mimi" she will still need a permanent home in order to not go back to a shelter.

  Please contact if anyone is interested.

Fresh and Best Sushi in Delray Beach-affordable too!

Sushi is, hands down, my favorite meal;breakfast, lunch or dinner. What makes this fact so inconvenient is that sushi is usually expensive and both difficult and time consuming to make-it can be expensive as well. So where on earth, or in Delray at least, can you find reasonably priced, most importantly fresh and delicious, sushi?

Sushi Yama in Pineapple Grove (that's 2nd Street for those of you who haven't caught on yet) is possibly the freshest and least expensive sushi I have had in all of South Florida.

Sushi Yama has a lunch special Mon-Sat where some of their most popular rolls are only $5. Some of the select rolls include the Mexican Roll, Cream Cheese Roll and Lobster Roll. The only catch--In order to take advantage of the lunch special you have to dine in or order your meal for take-out by 2:30.

Tar washes up on Delray Beach

While taking a Friday afternoon stroll on the beach I suddenly felt a sticky substance attach itself to my foot. Jelly fish, you might ask? Bubble gum? Nope, tar.

During my 30 minute stroll I came across about four or five different tar balls about the size of a harmonica. While we have experienced a migration of fish and other marine organisms from the Gulf of Mexico to our Atlantic coasts, it's not certain that the oil from the Deep Water Horizon spill could have made it's way this far.

After doing some research I came across a story that Fox 29 had debuted the day I came across the tar. Tar Balls Wash up on South Florida Beaches, the article was titled. The tar that Fox 29 was referring to was found off Boca Raton's beaches only miles away from Delray.

While the article gives no explanation for the tar, further research suggests that it's from rock or ocean topography. Apparently much of the rock off the coast of California produces naturally occurring tar and it's presence at the beaches is no surprise to residents. Let's hope that's the case in Delray.

Remnants of tar I found on Delray Beach, 3.18.11