Sunday, May 6th: from Dolphin Days to a Dolphin “Daze”
As we huffed and puffed our way into Dolphin Cove, T was waiting and watching for us, and waved us toward where she was standing within the area where they conduct the Dolphins Up Close tours. We were blubbering embarrassed apologies
as she exclaimed “You made it just in time!” and began instructing us to remove our lanyards, sunglasses, cell phones, and any other accessories we were carrying. We quickly piled up our stuff on the grass alongside the walkway and she motioned us over to one of the stations alongside the dolphin pool.
For anyone who hasn’t experienced one of Seaworld’s tours yet, you TOTALLY should
. Thanks to a little good luck and some incredible special offers (some for passmembers and others on Black Friday), we have been blessed to have done several over the years……a VIP tour (though the specific version we have enjoyed is no longer offered), the Behind the Scenes Tour, the Dolphin Encounter, and the Wild Arctic Tour….and every single one of them has been nothing short of
fantastic. Worth every penny and such amazing experiences and memories
. So when the realization sunk in that T had arranged for us to take part in the Dolphin Encounter tour that day, well…..I wasn’t sure if I wanted to scream with joy or let all that gratitude come oozing out in the form of tears. I’m a crier, so I definitely lean to the latter when push comes to shove
.
That said, when we next realized that not only had T made space for us for the Dolphin Encounter but that our session would be exclusively for us alone (generally speaking, couples or small families are combined with another small group and the interaction is a shared event), with her as our trainer…..well, the joy completely took over
. For both of us.
@chiamarie,
SOMEDAY we will find a way to properly say thank you. Are you sure you don’t want to be our daughter in law?
Because we had arrived at literally the LAST possible moment, we were launched right into the awesomeness of the tour……the details of which can be found here:
https://seaworld.com/orlando/tours/dolphins-up-close/
Dolphins Up-Close Tour
Find out what it takes to be a SeaWorld dolphin trainer, when you come face-to-face with the ocean’s most playful ambassador on this approximately 30-minute hands-on tour.
You will learn first-hand from our trainers about behaviors, training techniques and the world-class care we provide for these amazing animals. Please see More Details for additional information.
· Spend time side-by-side with our trainers as you get hands-on with our dolphin family.
· Practice what you've learned while asking a dolphin to perform some of the behaviors.
· Opportunity to have your picture taken while touching and feeding dolphins.
“Our” dolphin was Archer, and he was a complete charmer
. Full of energy and personality, he was happy to strut his stuff and show off his amazing talents at T’s (and our!) bidding …...as part of the tour, we received a short lesson in dolphin hand signals, so we too could help give instructions and watch the awesomeness unfold.
He wowed us with his graceful jumps, took great delight in splashing us with his strong tail, and graciously allowed us to give him a gentle tummy rub without complaint. It is both inspiring and humbling to be around T when she’s in SeaWorld staff mode: she is SO knowledgeable, so patient, and her love for the animals is so obvious.
We even went "fishing"!
Park photographers were stationed across the pool from the tour guests and captured photos of each small group as they enjoyed their one-on-one moments with the dolphins. T was happy to hear that we had already purchased the annual Photokey, as the pictures from today’s session would be included on the key.
One of the most incredible moments of the tour was getting to "dance" with the handsome Mr. Archer. While I can honestly say that our entire trip was nothing short of fantastic (Saturday’s migraine excepted),
this moment was the cherry on the sundae
.
This is what sets SeaWorld apart from all the other theme parks in Orlando. And
this is one of those times where I wished that I could just stop time and savor the moment longer.
Grateful
. Thankful
. Blessed
.
When our session was over, T had to dash…..she was still on shift, though her work day was wrapping up shortly…..so we gave her big hugs of appreciation and made a promise to chat soon to finalize our dinner date for later that week. After all she had done for us on this trip, the least we could do was treat her to a meal out, and Kobe’s was on the itinerary for exactly that reason
. She accompanied us over to the Photokey desk so we could have our pictures added to our Key, and we bid her adieu.
We were positively beaming as we headed out of Dolphin Cove. For a “bonus day” at SeaWorld which we hadn’t originally been planning, it couldn’t have been any better of a day
.
We had plans for another Dismeet later that evening, so we opted to head back to the resort at this point in the late afternoon. We wanted some time to freshen up and grab some dinner before we met with
@pattyw and her husband for drinks at SVR. We made the quick trek to the parking lot, hopped in the rental vehicle, and were pulling into the Vistana in short order. And yes, as we trundled up the stairs to our villa, we were STILL smiling!
Sunday Fun-day, indeed
.
The balance of our day is next!
.
. 
I just love that we have become friends over the years. That's the only repayment I need! (Though, I will always accept free food! )
. Of course, I don't really have any better suggestions of my own, either, though! Hmmm..let's think 
