On Sunday (while the guys were out on the rough seas fishing) Lisa and I went swimming with the dolphins - it was absolutely wonderful and an unforgettable experience!  

It's been on my Bucket List forever (since I watched Flipper on TV in the 60s, and envied the adventures of  'Sandy' and 'Bud' with their exotic 'pet' in Florida.)  Lisa and I got to spend almost 90 minutes in the water with two dolphins (she was named Scarlet, but I am blanking on his name....will most likely remember his as soon as I post, right?)  

The dolphins were so soft!  First we got to pet them as they glided by our group of 8.  Then we got to hold one.  According to Angel (the trainer) they weigh about 800 pounds each, though it was rather hard to tell since they floated effortlessly in our arms.

Of course we got to kiss the dolphins.... and get a kiss back!

Dolphins are good dancers....

Lisa and I went first for all the activities and didn't realize we could have raised our arms straight above our heads and the dolphins would still have been able to touch our hands (and stay that way - they are incredibly muscular.)

For our (first!) ride, the dolphins came up beside us; we grabbed onto their dorsal fins and they towed us across the water at a very fast pace.  What a rush!

For our last ride, we weren't sure what was going to happen.  Basically we lay on the water with our legs outstretched (sort of a Superman pose) and were told (very important!) to keep our knees locked.

I may be able to walk on water (with the dolphins' help) 

but my re-entry into the water was anything but graceful!

It was an incredible morning - we both had a blast, and the dolphins seemed to be having fun also.  Of course the constant supply of fish after each trick (we did get to feed them) certainly didn't hurt.

Afterwards we went to see a 5-month old dolphin in a different area.  The trainer called Mama, and just about when we thought she wouldn't appear, she came to show off her baby, swimming back and forth by the pier several times with the baby at her side.