Number 4: Swim with a Dolphin

I completed one of the more involved items on my 30 before 30 list last April. And then promptly forgot to blog about it.

Whoops.

I’ve always wanted to take part in a dolphin encounter, especially since my (Aunt) Mary works at the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys. Mary is a great writer and she loves dolphins. The combination of the two makes her tales about her own dolphin encounters extra appealing. I’ve always wanted to try it, so I put “swim with a dolphin” on my list to give myself that metaphorical kick in the butt.

The fact that Mary is a ton of fun, that she lives in one of the most beautiful places on earth, that she makes the world’s most delicious brownies and that she owns a boat certainly didn’t make the visit any less attractive.

Kristian and I had some flight vouchers that we had to use up before they expired (#firstworldproblems), so we decided to head down to the Keys for a long weekend.

Best. Weekend. Ever.

But I’m not here to talk about driving around in a convertible and eating key lime pie. I’m here to talk about just how cool it is to interact with a dolphin.

For most of our encounter, Kristian and I stood on a submerged platform while we interacted with the dolphin, Marina. Her trainer explained how all of the various behaviors worked and then we gave Marina the various signals. There were a ton of behaviors, but the best ones were definitely the splash fight (that dolphin totally kicked our asses) and the presents (she dove to the bottom of the cove and brought us up some seaweed). The trainer also had Marina do her shark impression, which Mary and I laughed at extra hard at – the line on Glee about dolphins “just being gay sharks” was the week before.

One at a time, we swam off the platform for our dorsal tow. Marina’s trainer gave the signal and then Marina swam along beside us. We reached out, wrapped our arm around her dorsal fin and then she towed us around the lagoon. Hot damn, it is fun to hitch a ride with a dolphin. They are seriously fast. And, well, awesome. They’re the pirate ninjas of the sea world.

I’d say that they’re the pirate unicorns of the sea world, but everybody knows that’s narwhales.

Mary took a video of my swim with her phone but I don’t have a copy of it. Let’s all just take my word for it that I look suitably impressed.

Swimming with a dolphin is usually considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I would definitely do it again. It’s not exactly cheap, but it’s not exactly robbery on the high seas either. And all of the proceeds go towards the good work that the DRC does with dolphins. I know I am capable of justifying just about anything, but helping out dolphins is a decent excuse any day of the week. Kristian’s sister lives in Miami and we really should visit her more. I’m serious about that one.

If you just so happen to be down in Miami (and really, this can happen to the best of us) and you find yourself with a free day, definitely try to make your way down to the Keys. It’s a pretty easy drive and the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. Then you, yourself, can hang out with a dolphin.