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I have never seen a real dolphin before; excluding the time I spotted a pod of ten or more of them in the distance, when sailing off the coast of Nayarit, México. But it was nothing compared to this close and personal encounter. I was fortunate to experience Risho within my reach, smiling at me and showing off the remaining of his 88 teeth.
Risho and his fellow bottlenose dolphins are warm-blooded, aquatic mammals belonging to the Cetaceans order, which also encompasses all whales. Considered one of the most intelligent marine creatures, bottlenose dolphins can live up to 50 years, but their average lifespan is about 20 years or less. Their eyes are specially adapted to allow them to see in and out of the water, and when they rest, only half of their body is asleep at a time. A bottlenose dolphin's skin is extremely delicate and easily injured by rough surfaces, making it very similar to human skin. A dolphin sheds its outer layer of skin about every two hours--exfoliation is the secret.
After learning many more fascinating details about the dolphins, we were instructed how to behave with manners in their domain. We were told that they didn't like having their blowholes or eyes poked or prodded, they loved having their fins stroked and that they understood certain hand signals.
The rest of the morning was a blur of delight. Risho kept surprising and amusing us with his tricks, squealing with glee at having company and, best of all, someone to play with. Our first trick was to splash him, and I guess we didn't take into consideration that dolphins are much better at splashing back, as Risho proceeded to flush gallons of water all over us. It was sublime.
When we got acquainted a bit more, it was time for the kiss. Ignoring completely my golden rule of not kissing anybody on the first date, I received Risho's kiss on my cheek with enormous joy and delight.
Next came what I felt was the best part: we were to stand in the water with our arms extended to create a letter "T," our dolphin came along, and as he passed underneath our left arm we were to grab his dorsal fin and hold on tight. Then he took us on an amazing ride through the water at a fantastic speed. It was a wonderfully exhilarating, liberating, and spine-tingling experience, and so was the rest of the 30 minutes we spent in the water.
It's a truly cherished memory I can never forget and something I am grateful for having had the fortune to experience. Risho and nine of his beautiful, intelligent and loving fellows have found their home at the Cabo San Lucas Cabo Dolphins Center, and are now providing all residents and visitors with the opportunity to live the thrill of interacting with them and learning about their tactile nature that never ceases to attract and amaze us. To make a reservation for a dolphin swim or any other program offered by Cabo Dolphins, please call (624) 173-9500.
Article by Anna Urbanik
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