mickeyluv71
Disney Dolphin Chick!
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2002
- Messages
- 105
Ok ~ this is going to be pretty much verbatim from my trip journal, so it may be a little longer than the others. Therefore I'm breaking it into Dolphins in Depth and the rest of the day.
Part 1...
Day 3 ~ 10/18 Dolphins in Depth
Cast: Beth (31)
Special Appearances by: Meghan and Becky, the educators on the tour; Lisa and Cathy, the dolphin trainers; and of course Bob and Ranier, the amazing dolphins!!
Wow! Where to start? Dolphins in Depth rocks!! Dolphins rock!! There were 8 of us on the tour (the maximum number they can take). We met, they checked our bags and our IDs, then we went backstage and got our lockers, dropping off our bags as well as any jewelry or anything that could potentially fall into the tank. Then it was up to meet Bob and Ranier. (Toby, the other dolphin who had been there from the start of The Living Seas passed away early in the year, and Ranier is the new dolphin ~ been there about 3 months or so. He came via the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, and before that from an interaction program in the Keys. He's still relearning interaction, and he only likes one of the holding tanks, but he's awesome!!) First we talked about the anatomy of the dolphin while Bob checked us out from his tank ~ Ranier was in the holding tank on the other side and wouldn't come over to the one we were close to...they said he doesn't like it and can't really figure out why. Then we sat down and learned about the animal husbandry they practice...how you weigh a dolphin, how you take blood, how you check their lungs for infections (all by video...they don't actually do that every day!) all while Bob continued to swim and check us out. Next we all got wonderful one size fits nobody Dolphins in Depth lab coats (no, we didn't get to keep those) and walked through the upper part of the tank to see a little of the research they were conducting that day. Bob waved to us as we walked by, which was really cute! The project was on echolocation ` the way dolphins form pictures of things in their minds from the vibrations the object sends back when the dolphin uses his (in this case they're both boys, so I'm using his) sonar. An object would be placed in the water behind a black screen so he couldn't see what it was. Bob would then echolocate on it, then at a signal, swim to the front of the viewing area where 3 objects had been placed on the outside part of the glass and using his eyes signal what object had been behind the screen. (We missed the full explanation given to the other guests, but I guess the glass is thick enough that he couldn't echolocate on the objects.) It was really interesting. He'd swim down and scope out the objects (they were rearranged each time), then sort of point to one and open his mouth real wide at it. When he got it right (I don't think he missed one) we all applauded and Bob got a fish or a squid to eat. Then we went up to the education room, got sodas, and talked about ways to protect dolphins in the wild. Then it was finally time to suit up in bathing suits AND wetsuits (not going in one of those again anytime soon!!)!!
Lisa and Cathy were the two trainers with Bob and Ranier respectively. Since Ranier is still relearning, our interaction with him was limited, though he was very willing to participate (he had to think about some of the joint behaviors, but otherwise he was fine), so most of our interaction was with Bob. We divided into 2 groups of 4, and everyone pretty much had equal time with the boys. There were 3 couples, and they did their personal interaction together while the other solo and I got individual time with them! I was in the first group with Bob.
There really aren't adequate words to describe what touching and holding a dolphin is like. Amazing, awesome, moving, tender, gentle and powerful...nothing really does it justice. When Lisa positioned him in front of us the first time and we started rubbing him, she said, "It's ok, you can cry if you want. I did the first time I touched one," and there were a few tears on several of our parts. There definitely aren't words to describe what a dolphin feels like...in "A Ring of Endless Light" (the book is so much better than and NOTHING like the Disney Channel movie...I was quite disappointed in that, but that's another story), Madeline L'Engle has Vicky describe is as "resilient pewter" and that's a pretty good description if you think about what not quite hardened pewter would probably feel like. But they just feel like dolphins! Lisa turned him around so those of us on the other end could see his face, and he really was checking me out...I don't know how to describe it, but there was a definite connection. When it was my turn to hold him in a bear hug, Lisa discovered how much he liked me...he kept trying to pull me into the tank to play, and she said that usually only happens with the trainers. He kept showing his teeth, so while I had him, Lisa was explaining about the teeth and then he stuck his tongue out to show all of us. Each person was given a behavior signal to ask the dolphin to perform. Mine was to push some water toward Bob's face. He responded by splashing me and getting me totally drenched! It was great!
The groups switched, and I got to interact with Ranier. My behavior signal for him got me a little wet as well. You could definitely tell that Ranier is still adjusting, but Cathy said he did amazingly well. In the other group, Bob was being a total ham...splashing Lisa and going after her whenever his behavior signal was to splash. Then it was time for the hardest behavior of all, saying good-bye. We all gave a signal, and both dolphins spy-hopped (that's when they leap out of the water in an arch) about 3 times. Then Ranier waved by tail walking (when they're straight up out of the water going backwards) and waving his flippers at us. Bob swam on his side with a flipper out of the water waving at us. Then it was off to shower and dress.
We went back to the education room for an evaluation and to get our t-shirts and videos (love it!! watched it as soon as I got back to my house in Illinois...no VCR before that, so I couldn't see it any earlier). Then we were escorted back to the park entrance, and I headed back to Coronado Springs to grab a quick bite of food, put my stuff away, and change.
I loved Dolphins in Depth and would really recommend it. They always say that the interaction is "hopeful interaction" because you can't really make a 500 pound creature do something he doesn't want to do. They told us that Bob is really reliable and has only not wanted to participate a couple of times the whole time they've been doing the tour. Ranier is still adjusting, so he doesn't always show Bob's enthusiasm, but he was awesome with us! It was truly an amazing experience and one that I will definitely never forget!!
~Beth
Part 1...
Day 3 ~ 10/18 Dolphins in Depth
Cast: Beth (31)
Special Appearances by: Meghan and Becky, the educators on the tour; Lisa and Cathy, the dolphin trainers; and of course Bob and Ranier, the amazing dolphins!!
Wow! Where to start? Dolphins in Depth rocks!! Dolphins rock!! There were 8 of us on the tour (the maximum number they can take). We met, they checked our bags and our IDs, then we went backstage and got our lockers, dropping off our bags as well as any jewelry or anything that could potentially fall into the tank. Then it was up to meet Bob and Ranier. (Toby, the other dolphin who had been there from the start of The Living Seas passed away early in the year, and Ranier is the new dolphin ~ been there about 3 months or so. He came via the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, and before that from an interaction program in the Keys. He's still relearning interaction, and he only likes one of the holding tanks, but he's awesome!!) First we talked about the anatomy of the dolphin while Bob checked us out from his tank ~ Ranier was in the holding tank on the other side and wouldn't come over to the one we were close to...they said he doesn't like it and can't really figure out why. Then we sat down and learned about the animal husbandry they practice...how you weigh a dolphin, how you take blood, how you check their lungs for infections (all by video...they don't actually do that every day!) all while Bob continued to swim and check us out. Next we all got wonderful one size fits nobody Dolphins in Depth lab coats (no, we didn't get to keep those) and walked through the upper part of the tank to see a little of the research they were conducting that day. Bob waved to us as we walked by, which was really cute! The project was on echolocation ` the way dolphins form pictures of things in their minds from the vibrations the object sends back when the dolphin uses his (in this case they're both boys, so I'm using his) sonar. An object would be placed in the water behind a black screen so he couldn't see what it was. Bob would then echolocate on it, then at a signal, swim to the front of the viewing area where 3 objects had been placed on the outside part of the glass and using his eyes signal what object had been behind the screen. (We missed the full explanation given to the other guests, but I guess the glass is thick enough that he couldn't echolocate on the objects.) It was really interesting. He'd swim down and scope out the objects (they were rearranged each time), then sort of point to one and open his mouth real wide at it. When he got it right (I don't think he missed one) we all applauded and Bob got a fish or a squid to eat. Then we went up to the education room, got sodas, and talked about ways to protect dolphins in the wild. Then it was finally time to suit up in bathing suits AND wetsuits (not going in one of those again anytime soon!!)!!
Lisa and Cathy were the two trainers with Bob and Ranier respectively. Since Ranier is still relearning, our interaction with him was limited, though he was very willing to participate (he had to think about some of the joint behaviors, but otherwise he was fine), so most of our interaction was with Bob. We divided into 2 groups of 4, and everyone pretty much had equal time with the boys. There were 3 couples, and they did their personal interaction together while the other solo and I got individual time with them! I was in the first group with Bob.
There really aren't adequate words to describe what touching and holding a dolphin is like. Amazing, awesome, moving, tender, gentle and powerful...nothing really does it justice. When Lisa positioned him in front of us the first time and we started rubbing him, she said, "It's ok, you can cry if you want. I did the first time I touched one," and there were a few tears on several of our parts. There definitely aren't words to describe what a dolphin feels like...in "A Ring of Endless Light" (the book is so much better than and NOTHING like the Disney Channel movie...I was quite disappointed in that, but that's another story), Madeline L'Engle has Vicky describe is as "resilient pewter" and that's a pretty good description if you think about what not quite hardened pewter would probably feel like. But they just feel like dolphins! Lisa turned him around so those of us on the other end could see his face, and he really was checking me out...I don't know how to describe it, but there was a definite connection. When it was my turn to hold him in a bear hug, Lisa discovered how much he liked me...he kept trying to pull me into the tank to play, and she said that usually only happens with the trainers. He kept showing his teeth, so while I had him, Lisa was explaining about the teeth and then he stuck his tongue out to show all of us. Each person was given a behavior signal to ask the dolphin to perform. Mine was to push some water toward Bob's face. He responded by splashing me and getting me totally drenched! It was great!
The groups switched, and I got to interact with Ranier. My behavior signal for him got me a little wet as well. You could definitely tell that Ranier is still adjusting, but Cathy said he did amazingly well. In the other group, Bob was being a total ham...splashing Lisa and going after her whenever his behavior signal was to splash. Then it was time for the hardest behavior of all, saying good-bye. We all gave a signal, and both dolphins spy-hopped (that's when they leap out of the water in an arch) about 3 times. Then Ranier waved by tail walking (when they're straight up out of the water going backwards) and waving his flippers at us. Bob swam on his side with a flipper out of the water waving at us. Then it was off to shower and dress.
We went back to the education room for an evaluation and to get our t-shirts and videos (love it!! watched it as soon as I got back to my house in Illinois...no VCR before that, so I couldn't see it any earlier). Then we were escorted back to the park entrance, and I headed back to Coronado Springs to grab a quick bite of food, put my stuff away, and change.
I loved Dolphins in Depth and would really recommend it. They always say that the interaction is "hopeful interaction" because you can't really make a 500 pound creature do something he doesn't want to do. They told us that Bob is really reliable and has only not wanted to participate a couple of times the whole time they've been doing the tour. Ranier is still adjusting, so he doesn't always show Bob's enthusiasm, but he was awesome with us! It was truly an amazing experience and one that I will definitely never forget!!
~Beth
