DAY WITH THE DOLPHINS

IT HAS BEEN A LIFE LONG DREAM FOR BOTH OF US TO SWIM WITH A DOLPHIN. SO, IN NOVEMBER OF  1997, WE HAD OUR DREAMS COME TRUE. WE WENT TO THE XCARET ECO-PARK JUST BELOW PLAYA DEL CARMEN. AT DELPHINUS, WE BOTH HAD A ONE ON ONE EXPERIENCE. THIS WAS ONE PERSON, ONE TRAINER AND ONE  DOLPHIN. AFTER MEETING OUR TRAINERS, WE WENT OVER TO THE POOL AREA AND MET OUR DOLPHINS. WE WERE TOLD ALL ABOUT THE DOLPHINS AND HOW DEDICATED  DELPHINUS IS TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE  DOLPHIN POPULATION. WE WERE TOLD THAT OVER HALF OF THE DOLPHINS THAT WERE AT  THE XCARET DELPHINUS WERE ACTUALLY BORN IN CAPTIVITY . WE WERE TOLD ABOUT THE DAILY CARE WHICH EACH DOLPHIN RECEIVES AND WE WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THE DAILY CARE. WE WERE EACH GIVEN A TOOTH-BRUSH AND THE DOLPHINS OPENED THEIR  MOUTH SO THAT WE COULD BRUSH THEIR TEETH. LORRIE GOT TO PRACTICE HER SKILLS BY DRAWING A BLOOD SAMPLE FROM THE TAIL OF HER DOLPHIN. WHILE SHE WAS DOING THAT, GEORGEWAS TREATING WOUNDS WITH HONEY AND GLYCERINE. ALL OF THE DAILY CARE WAS EXPLAINED TO US. AFTER THE MORNING HEALTH CARE WAS COMPLETED, IT WAS PLAY TIME WITH THE  DOLPHINS.  WE  SPENT ALOT OF TIME WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL DOLPHIN, THEN WE TEAMED UP TO DO THINGS WITH THE DOLPHINS AS A PAIR. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

LORRIE INSERTING A 18 GAUGE BUTTERFLY INTO A VEIN THAT RUNS ALONG THE TAIL.  GEORGE IS TAKING CARE OF THE DOLPHINS DAILY DENTAL HYGENE.

CONTINUE ON WITH OUR DAY