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Central & South America → Honduras Family Adventure - Swimming with dolphins

HCWT 02.18.2012 19:11 0 ↑ 0 ↓

Swimming with Dolphins in Roatan, Honduras

We arrived for the dolphin swim at the Roatan Institute of Marine Sciences in Sandy Bay, a short drive from West End.

We were early, so Mom and I checked out the Roatan Museum and learned information about the island and the dolphin study program.

When mom made our reservations for the dolphin swim, they warned her about a certain dolphin that is still learning “appropriate behavior” with kids. Not that she would ever mean to hurt you, but she is like a rambunctious over-size puppy

I had the best time getting to know Rita, a bottlenosed dolphin.

wanting to play. I assured mom that it would be okay and I really, really wanted to swim with the dolphins.

By boat we went to Bailey’s Key, where in a blue green lagoon we met Rita, a bottle-nosed dolphin and a mom, too. In waist deep water alongside Rita and her trainer, mom and I learned some fun things about her. Like how she breathes, gives birth and where her calf drinks milk.

     She really enjoyed us petting her, her skin felt like slick rubber! We learned that she doesn't like her tail fin touched. She loved the attention so much that afterwards she gave us lots of dolphin kisses!
   We then put on our snorkel gear and headed into the deep water of the lagoon, where we rejoined Rita and met her male calf Enzo; Gee Gee and her male calf Boomer; and Cedana, the frisky, misbehaving female.
   At first everyone was a bit shy, but then guess who got very playful? Yep, Cedana or Ced, as they call

After our visit Rita gave me a dolphin kiss.

her. She first came up behind me and grabbed my elbow in her mouth. It didn’t hurt, just surprised me. Then, she circled back around and came from beneath, locked onto my leg and pushed me through the water.
   The trainer grabbed my arm, pulled me away from Ced, and said, “If you ignore her and swim away, you’ll show Ced that you won’t play with her when she acts that way.”
   I understood what the trainer was saying, but I still wanted to play with her. I was having fun, too. Like the times Ced would sneak up behind me and tap me on my head. I’d twirl around to find her right in my face sporting a full dolphin grin! Most of the time Ced spent swimming circles around me, unexpectedly popping up beside me and tugging at my arm or leg. Not once did she hurt or scare me. We had great fun!
   Rita and her calf, Enzo, swam side by side. They would join mom in underwater acrobatics, although they probably thought mom silly for trying to act like a dolphin.
   “Cody,” mom said, “here, hold this blade of grass and watch Rita, she’ll take it from your hand.”
   Rita playfully pulled the grass from my hand, then immediately let it drop so I would chase it and play the game again. Who was the smarter one, I wondered?
   It all went by too fast and before we knew it we were waving good-bye to our new dolphin playmates.
Back at the institute, a few other dolphins from the pod performed in a show.
   I had the best time and I’ll never forget it, especially Ced. In fact, we bought a video tape of our swim... Yep, there was Ced tugging at my leg--caught on camera!

Read more of CW's adventure in Dolphins of Roatan, Honduras.