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DOLPHIN JOURNEY
May/June 2006
By Maureen Costello
Toward the tail end of Robin Bantleman's hour-long swim in a pool of dolphins, she noticed the sun shining a little brighter. Rightfully, she attributed some of that solar sensation to the pulsating current in her face, brought on by plowing through the Pacific aboard a dorsal fin.
But the added burst of sunshine over Nuevo Vallarta wasn't solely from the thrill of swimming with dolphins, though Robin admitted that was a huge contributing factor. It was because she suddenly noticed her sunglasses were no longer clipped onto her prescription lenses. The shades are a mandate whenever the blue-eyed sales rep for San Jose-based SunTrips even thinks about soaking up some rays. The prescription is for whenever she thinks about doing anything.
"I could tell right away that they were lost because the light got so much better," Robin said while relishing a dish of gourmet Mexican eggs one morning at the Villa Del Palmar Flamingos Beach Resort & Spa in Neuvo Vallarta, Mexcio. She was sharing her Dolphin Adventures experience with me and my sister-in-law Cori during an outdoor breakfast a stretch of sand away from the beach. Cori and I had been to Dolphin Adventures the day before and were still talking about it. Robin said she was a little concerned that her pricey eyewear would remain forever camouflaged in the murky ocean bottom. Fortunately, Robin was wrong.
The interesting thing about the missing sunglasses, Robin continued, was that once she alerted the staff, they immediately signaled Amizcle, the alpha of the pack, to find them. Within seconds, and prompted by the promise of an imported mackerel upon return, the 900-pound Pacific bottle-nosed dolphin committed to the task. "He dove down and then he came right back up with my sunglasses," said Robin, still amazed.
"Was he wearing them?" Cori and I wanted to know.
No, just doing a good deed.
That was no surprise to Cori and me, especially after we had spent a good hour-plus learning about these mammals while enjoying their interactive hospitality.
Before we entered the water, Cori and I joined about a dozen other guests inside a thatched hut at the facility and listened to a presentation by staffers. Dolphins, we learned date back as an ocean species and are cetaceans, meaning they are marine dwellers. More than a million years ago, dolphins lived on land and even had hair, external ears and legs that they used for walking. But food became scarce so they returned to the sea.
The ocean is a twilight setting, so sound becomes more of a survival skill than sight - though that too is useful. Dolphins learned to rely on vibrations of sound - squeals, whistles, etc., and have developed a frequency range that exceeds the human listening skill. Light reflecting off objects serves as an additional navigator.
Their acoustical vision is superb, as evidenced by the reunion of Robin and her sunglasses. Amizcle, whose name means "Lion of the Sea" detected them using echo location, where frequencies penetrate an object. It is similar to x-ray vision. Despite this supersonic hearing ability, a dolphin's ears are nothing but tiny pinholes behind their eyes.
"They are gentle giants, the masters of the ocean," said Janitsio Nayar, a marine biologist and head trainer. They travel in pods and are very supportive of one another, especially in difficult times, like when one is dying, Janitsio told us. Like humans, dolphins are intelligent and express emotions such as anger, joy, sadness and affection. Their fins are uneven on purpose. They are identifiers, like our fingerprints.
Amizcle's large stature, we learned, anointed him alpha of the pod of six females and three males at Dolphin Adventures. Four of the females were impregnated by him, including Aqua, who at 18, is among the younger at the facility. She will carry the offspring for up to 12 months. She will deliver underwater and she and another female from the pod will bring the newborn calf to the surface for its first breath of air. Aqua will nurse her calf for 10 months. If all goes well, it will live 20 years.
Before entering the water, we were instructed to leave behind jewelry (including wedding rings) hats, cameras and other accessories. Under special conditions, such as Robin's, guests could wear eyeglasses. Cold showers rinsed away sunscreen and other products. Dolphins have delicate skin that damages easily.
While being fitted for life jackets, we were instructed not to poke fingers in the dolphins' blowholes or touch their faces and heads. The water would be a chilly 68 to 70 degrees and over everyone's head. The dolphins swim in a large pool, which is really just a sectioned-off piece of beach that allows fresh water to flow through but keeps the dolphins in. We were divided into groups of four, each group paired up with two dolphins.
Cori, two men and I were paired with Aqua and Amizcle. Once we jumped into the water, Amizcle determined who would be swimming with whom. He gave Aqua the two men. As instructed, we opened our palms and gave Amizcle long, gentle strokes along his back. Like a dog, he turned over, encouraging pats on his belly. (BTW, rubbing a dolphin's belly is good luck!)
"They enjoy this a lot because they like to stay in contact with people, especially kids and pregnant women," said our trainer Alix Machluca, adding that the mammals are especially tender to people with physical and emotional disabilities.
We took turns holding onto Amizcle's pectoral fins while he swam through the water. This is a pretty sensational experience as the water bats you in the face nonstop. If you're not careful, you may swallow more than your share. We learned the different gestures that provoke the dolphins to do tricks.
This was truly a fantastic experience and one for ages 5 and up and nearly all physical abilities. I would have stayed longer but my ride back to the hotel would have left without me. Good news, though. Dolphin Adventures is open 365 days a year, so it's ready to take you for a ride whenever you are. Besides the dolphin adventure, guests may also try a dolphin encounter, where guests meet dolphins in waist-deep water (great for nonswimmers). A Trainer for the Day option is available for guests 12 and up. Group rates and interaction with sea lions are also offered.
When not interacting and educating guests, the Pacific bottle-nosed dolphins assist the staff marine biologists and trainers with research about dolphins and their environment.
And sometimes they just help find a pair of sunglasses.
For more information
Dolphin Adventures
www.dolphin-adventure.com
www.vallarta-adventure.com
May/June 2006
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