Wow that was an experience. Ian and I got the chance to touch, feed and interact with dolphins which are in captivity, but were born in captivity and that is all they know. We didn't do the 'swim with the dolphins' thing, but we were lucky enough to meet 2 wonderful people who work with these dolphins and they let us share a few moments of what it is like to work with them. Thank you Sophie and Benjamin.
I am really confused about how I feel about dolphins in captivity now. I've always thought I was against it and I still am against the capture and containment of wild dolphins and whales. But these dolphins are born in this environment and are very dependent on the humans to feed them and protect them. It's no worse than the Lovebird I had for 13 years who was also born in a cage and lived her whole life in a cage. Anyhow there are arguments for and against and I have to say I am still on the fence about it all but also really enjoyed the chance to touch and interact with them. I think that if the people who come to swim with them every day each leave with a love of the dolphins and a desire to protect them by whatever means they can, then it is worth it.
They are incredibly playful and you can see how each one of them has her/his own personality, likes and dislikes. They learn really fast and they need to be constantly challenged with new things as they can become bored with routine. They feel very smooth and rubbery. These are the Pacific Bottlenose which are the biggest of this species. They can get up to a thousand pounds! These are the same kind of dolphins that we were seeing up in Tenacatita Bay earlier this year.
All in all I have to say that I am really glad to have had a chance to interact with them even though Ian and I are lucky enough to be able to see them in the wild whenever we go out sailing or move from one place to another. I've learned some things about dolphins that I never new before and now when I see them I will see them in a new light. I will still always want to reach out and touch them.