Close
Encounters of an Unforgettable Kind
Author:
Carma Haley Shoemaker
Contributor(s): Crysty Riggs
Published on: February 1, 2001
The majority of the public
has seen images of dolphins in movies, on television,
books or photos or has had the privilege of viewing them
in person at one of the many dolphin shows across the
country at aquatic parks. Most are familiar with what
dolphins look like, act like, and what ‘tricks’
they can perform. However, to gain knowledge of the true
essence of a dolphin, you must experience them first hand
- in person.
Here is one such adventure....
"Crysty's
Dolphin Adventure" Dolphin Encounter of the Sandals
Resort in Nassau, Bahamas
We
began by taking a ferry to a lagoon where the dolphins
live. It is a lovely place with a fantastic beach and
exercise areas for the dolphins. We attended a short lesson
about dolphins where we learned about them and about what
would take place during the encounter. This particular
dolphin encounter was started with 3 rescue dolphins.
This family of dolphins still resides there and the oldest
is now 33 years old (the average lifespan of a dolphin
in the wild, we were told, is only 15 to 17 years) and
the youngest is only 7 weeks old - we did not get to see
the baby. We did get to see about 8 dolphins during a
training session though and it was wonderful.
After
the lesson, we were lead to a pool where 10 at a time,
we entered the pool and stood on a walkway. A 5-year-old
dolphin named Andy was brought into the water with us
and as we stood there each one of us was able to pet him!
Then, he went down the line, giving each of us a hug and
a kiss and he even danced with us. Occasionally, he would
decide he liked hugging one person better than the last
(usually a woman, rather than her husband...all at the
trainers instruction) and he would chatter away at the
man and then splash him all over with the water and go
back and kiss the woman. It was such an amazing sight.
When
Andy hugged me, I was so shocked that he put no weight
on me at all. He gently rose out of the water, rested
his head on my shoulder and touched his fins to my sides.
He stayed there until I let go, then he gently slipped
away and into the water. What a glorious time it was!
It is such an awesome feeling to be in the presence of
such a creature - so powerful and so gentle that even
the two year old who was there was able to participate
fully without being helped or held by his mother.
It
is almost overwhelming to think about it while you're
there doing it - even now I almost choke up when I think
about what a special moment this was for me. This is one
of the most loving, tender animals I've ever encountered
and so much more intelligent than I had ever understood
before. It was a thrill I will never forget.
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