Dolphin day

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 MARATHON, FL – Having a pair of dolphins swim over to you and tilt sideways to have a close look at you is a pretty neat experience. Val and I were standing next to their tank when no one else was around, so we know it was us they came to check out! This was one of the highlights of our day at the Dolphin Research Center, near our RV park. A huge mother and baby dolphin sculpture entices passers-by to come in, as well as a sign that says “Swim with a Dolphin Today!” I was unsure what kind of a facility this would be when we first arrived. Would it be like a circus, or was this a serious establishment, as its name suggested? Happily, the latter is true. The DRC, as staffers refer to it, is devoted to caring for dolphins and learning as much as they can about their physiognomy, behaviour and intelligence. The animals are clearly healthy and happy, as they cavort in their capacious holding lagoons and click and squeal at their handlers. And, we were told, the DRC has published a variety of research papers in scientific journals. We learned the story of Jax, the baby dolphin that came to the centre with wounds to its fluke, dorsal fin and flipper caused by a bull shark attack. Humans rescued him off the panhandle of Florida, and when he was stabilized, he was brought to the DRC and nursed back to health. Because he wasn’t with his mother long enough to learn how to hunt for food in the wild, the DRC will be his forever home. Other dolphins at the centre are descendants of Flipper, of movie fame. The oldest one is 50, although their life expectancy is usually less than that in the wild. The lagoons, which are fenced-off areas of the ocean, segregate the animals into juvenile, maternity and adult male sections. Programs at the centre allow visitors to touch the dolphins while on shore, standing on a platform waist-deep in water, or actually swimming with them. At around $30 per person for the experience, it generates revenue for the centre, which is not supported by any kind of government funding. It was great to watch the dolphins and handlers interact, and to see the enthusiasm on both sides as the handlers used commands and hand signals and the dolphins responded with speed and obvious delight. Some of the tasks teach them proper positions and behaviour when researchers need to take blood samples from their flukes, or swabs from their blowholes to determine respiratory health. Since there was not a huge crowd there today (there was a stiff wind whipping at us the whole time), we were able to get up close and admire their sleek, grey bodies as they glided by, and appreciate the attention they gave to us at the same time. In addition to dolphins, the DRC has three sea lions that also interact with visitors. Kilo, the largest sea lion, hoisted his enormous bulk out of the water and bounced over to the handler to show off his learning skills. Karen, a retired sea lion performer and now blind, came out after Kilo and allowed herself to be hugged by paying visitors in front of a photographer. It was fun to see the peoples’ reactions as her whiskers tickled them and her flippers closed behind them in a moist embrace. Our aquatic day came to an appropriate end at the Whale Harbour buffet restaurant, where we sampled crabs’ legs, chowder, jambalaya and other seafood delights.