Swimming With Dolphins
"The ocean always has a way of giving you a gift just when you need it." Philip Shearer
Dolphins are such incredible creatures, graceful, playful, friendly and kind. It is because of this we have lot to see them up close. However, this has resulted in so many dolphins being captured and kept in marine parks which, for such sociable creatures, is cruel.
However there is a way you can see dolphins without causing them harm. At the end of this article you’ll find further information on dolphin parks and alternative, humane ways to interact with them. Below is my story of a wild dolphin encounter which remains the happiest moment of my life, not least because no harm was caused to the dolphins. I hope you enjoy my story.
I jump off the boat into the warm, clear aqua waters of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos and get my head straight underwater. The pod of dolphins is right there, eight of them along with Jo-Jo, the islands’ resident wild dolphin. The pod is made up of six adults and two pups, the adults are in about twenty foot of water, cruising over patchy coral which is crystal clear in these beautiful waters. The adults weave a gentle pattern in the water as they move through the water in their own family unit, never far from the pups which are nearer the surface, just a few feet from us, they are curious and playful. The DPVs (diver propulsion vehicles) mean we can mimic the dolphins, ducking and diving, spinning in circles right alongside them, as we spin they spin with us, when they dive we dive with them, they love playing with us.
Phil is a freediver so he has the graceful moves and ability to hold his breath for long periods underwater, watching him interact with the dolphins is like something from a National Geographic film, just beautiful. I on the other hand do my best not to look like an idiot. One of the pups comes almost close enough for me to touch, but as I reach my arm out slowly it backs away, fair enough, don’t touch, don’t harass.
We play with the pod for twenty minutes, following them into deeper water until our DPVs batteries start to give out, it’s time to wish the dolphins well on their way and start to attempt to absorb what an amazing, life changing experience this has been.
I bring my head above the surface to look for Phil but I can’t see him, or the boat. I can see land, it’s probably about half a mile away but the sun it setting and with little battery left in my DPV I know it’ll take me hours to swim back to shore, certainly I won’t get there until after dark. This isn’t so good, but I’m not scared of these waters, yes there are sharks but they are harmless reef sharks that I lost any fear of the first time I ever scuba dived.
I look around me and see the burning orange sky as the sun nears the horizon, the water has turned deep blue with a golden sheen across it reaching from me to the sun like a pathway to heaven, dotted with sparkling diamonds that appear and disappear in a second with the movement of the water. This is my favourite time of day, it’s so achingly beautiful it always takes my breath away. And I realise what I’ve just experienced is so amazing I’ll never be able to appreciate it as much as I should for as long as I live. If it all ended now, that’s OK, I’ll go out with a full heart and a smile on my face.
I lay back on the water and float in the gently rolling sea, and just breathe. A few minutes later Phil arrives on the boat, he hadn’t anchored it when we jumped in so it had drifted away. Luckily he had the presence of mind to go and get it before his DPV ran out, and kindly didn’t break me away from playing with the dolphins as he went. Phil helps me onto the boat and we sit wrapped in towels, smiling and laughing at what an amazing experience we’ve just had.
Three weeks ago I left a man who physically and emotionally abused me for two years. But now I’m out of the tunnel and into the light. Free. Free from abuse, free to live my life as I choose, free to be happy. As free as those wild dolphins.
Please, please do not support cruelty to dolphins. Dolphin parks and swim with dolphin experiences may tell you the dolphins are rescued, well kept, or even wild just because they are kept in pens in the sea rather than in a pool but this is not the case. Please read up on the subject so you know what your money is supporting. Thank you.
For a kind, cruelty free wild dolphin experience try one of the following tours, these are just a sample, wild dolphin encounters are available across the world.
Swimming with dolphins in the Azores
Swimming with dolphins in Hawaii
Swimming with dolphins in Florida
Swimming with dolphins in Mexico
Swimming with dolphins in New Zealand
I lay back on the water and float in the gently rolling sea, and just breathe. A few minutes later Phil arrives on the boat, he hadn’t anchored it when we jumped in so it had drifted away. Luckily he had the presence of mind to go and get it before his DPV ran out, and kindly didn’t break me away from playing with the dolphins as he went. Phil helps me onto the boat and we sit wrapped in towels, smiling and laughing at what an amazing experience we’ve just had.
Three weeks ago I left a man who physically and emotionally abused me for two years. But now I’m out of the tunnel and into the light. Free. Free from abuse, free to live my life as I choose, free to be happy. As free as those wild dolphins.