My adventure was a few years back but it was definitely on of my most memorable experiences and one I still look back in in amazement. One of our ports of call during our Caribbean cruise was Willemstad, Curacao and my boyfriend, at the time, surprised me with a swim with the Dolphins!
The Dolphin Academy in Curacao is a place where people can learn about and interact with the Dolphins. One of the things I really remember being such a cool thing about the academy was the fact that the Dolphins have the choice whether or not to stay or leave. They can move around between lagoons and will even be taken out regularly by the trainers to the open sea.
Before just jumping in the water and swimming around, the group I was with went through a briefing on safety and etiquette. I definitely go the impression that it was a privilege to be able to be so close with these animals. And rightly so. The trainers and staff were very protective of the Dolphins they spend so much time with. Obviously, the bond between them was strong and making sure a level of respect is maintained was a high priority. It was really an impressive operation to say the least and I was glad to be a part of it for such a short time.
Now, without further ado, here are some photos of me in pure Dolphin bliss!
Being in the water, up close and personal with these intelligent creatures was nothing less than magical. Their skin felt warm and like a sort of rubbery human. It was nice to have flippers on otherwise I wouldn't be able to keep up with my Dolphin partner.
At first, we had to pair up with the Dolphins (there were probably 6 of us humans in the water at the time?) but then, for whatever reason, I was able to branch off and be alone with one Dolphin. Which was awesome because this guy took me around the lagoon further than the rest of the group. Which made me wonder if they can sense how adept you are at swimming. I grew up swimming and was able to keep up pretty easily with a quicker pace.
A couple things we weren't supposed to do while swimming with them was hold onto their dorsal fin or pet them. We were just supposed to put our hand on our Dolphin and let them lead us. The main reason for this was to not agitate our Dolphin partner. The happiness and comfort of the Dolphins came first.
While we were swimming, the trainers were close by giving commands and rewarding the Dolphins while also keeping and eye on us humans.
Near the end of our swim, we we able to play a little bit with them. The trainers taught us some simple commands to splash with the Dolphins and we even had the chance to be towed by two Dolphins at once at high speed while holding onto their dorsal fins! (The only time it was allowed). I thought I had a picture of that but I can't find it ....sad face :(. But trust me! It was awesome! :D
My swim with the Dolphins came and went too quickly. I really hope you have the chance one day to experience it for yourself. I still get goosebumps thinking about it :)
I'll leave you now with some photos I took after my swim. They had a little show with the Dolphins and I was able to capture some of their amazing moves :) So long and thanks for all the fish!!!
That's it! Thanks for stopping by!
