Amazing Dolfins

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Today I had an amazing encounter with nature that will remain with me for the rest of my life. Jan and I booked to Swim with the Dolfins at the Vallarta Adventures through Holland America Cruise lines.

Rarely do tours fulfill the hype used to promote booking them. This was an exception. This tour exceeded the hype!

We took a bumpy 30 minute bus ride from the port where the cruise ship docked to the dolfin adventure facility.

At our orientation lecture we were told that we had to take a shower to remove all sunscreen, cremes and hair gels to prevent damagaing the dolfin's delicate skin. We also had to remove all jewellery for the same reason. Next, we moved to some bar stools, under a covered open-air patio beside the pool where we had lockers. Here we listened to an audio program about the intelligence and emotions of dolfins and their amazing ability to communicate while we watched the dolfins playing in the large pools.

After the audio program we had our showers, put on our life vests, were assigned to groups of eight. We were warned not to touch the dolfins face, especially the eyes and to avoid their blowhole. Each group of eight had two dolfins, a trainer and a photographer and a specific corner of the very large pool.

As soon as we entered the 12 foot deep sea water pools the dolfins approached us, rolling onto their backs for us to rub their bellies. Their skin was extremely smooth, very firm and tight. They seemed to genuinely enjoy tummy rubs much like a dog, The dolfins would roll over every so often to get a breath. Then, they'd swim around gently rubbing against us as they swam by. I felt completely safe, like I was swimming with a friend, a friend that was enjoying themselves and wanted to play. I wanted to play too. I was thrilled to swim with our two young girl dolfins and pat their bellies.

Later, the trainer got us all together in the pool and had us raise our arms swinging them back and forth in the air. The dolfins dove down and then returned swimming bewteen us rolling back and forth splashing us using their fins, drenching us all. Next, the trainer had us applaud and the dolfins came up between like they were standing and clapped with their fins like they were part of the group. It was almost as if they were mocking us and we all laughed.

After the dolfins were familiar with us, the trainer got us to get into couples. Then, he blew on his whistle, which we could not hear (but the dolfins could). He made a hand gesture and the dolfins came up beside each couple, one at a time, kissing us on the cheeks. Then, the trainer had each couple put our arms around the dolfins posing for a group picture. The people were harder to coordinate than the dolfins.

At this point, this tour and this experience was already way beyond my expectations. What happened next blew me away.

The trainer advised each of us that we could ride the dolfin but we had to follow his instructions explicitly. We would position our self in the pool where he told us. Then the dolfin would be instructed to get on her back and come to where we were in the pool. We would reach over and hold the dolfins two bottom fins with our arms extended fully, belly to belly with the dolfin. The dolfin would use her tail fin for power and the dorsal fin for steering and take us across the pool a distance of about 50 feet.

I treaded water in the pool wondering if I was too heavy, waiting for my turn, watching others fly across the pool. It seemed easy for the dolfins. When my turn came I reached across and grabbed each fin, extending my arms, floating belly to belly with a beautiful creature. The surge of power startled me, a smile exploded on my face as we raced across the pool. I think the dolfin winked at me. I blushed. I'm a married man. I loved it.

For the finale, the dolfins we swam with put on an aqautic acrobatic show for us that was spectacular often landing only a few feet from as we huddled against the edge of the pool.

This was among the top two or three nature experiences of my life.