| I have always felt an intense pull toward marine | | | | believe I was in the water with a dolphin...touching one! |
| mammals. This is a weird sensation for someone from | | | | The dolphins skin was not what I expected it to be. For |
| Iowa with no substantial bodies of water nearby. | | | | some reason, although I was well aware that they are |
| Swimming with the dolphins has always been a goal. | | | | mammals, I expected something cold and rubbery not |
| Two years ago, I got that chance. I was planning a trip | | | | warm and silky. We were instructed to do certain |
| to Florida with my son and some friends. At the | | | | activities with the dolphins. It was truly an exhilarating |
| beginning of the trip, we participated in several boat | | | | experience. My son and I swam with L.B. and Dinghy, |
| rides where we had the chance to view dolphins in the | | | | two of ten Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins at the Dolphins |
| wild. I had seen whales on whale watching trips in | | | | Plus facility. It was such a powerful experience being |
| California but they were always so far away. Which is | | | | so close to those beautiful, intelligent creatures. As we |
| the way it should be, I would not want to be harrassing | | | | were leaving L.B. hung out near the surface, just |
| a whale in the wild. But on this Florida trip, the dolphins | | | | floating there, with one eye out of the water watching |
| would come right up to our boat. I even actually heard | | | | us. I felt so connected with all the world, making eye |
| air as it was blown out of a dolphin's blowhole, which | | | | contact with him. After you look into a dolphin's eye, it |
| was a thrilling event for me. I can still remember | | | | seems unfathomable that anyone would do anything |
| hearing it. | | | | to harm them. |
| After leaving Ft. Myers, we drove down to Key Largo | | | | There is still much controversy surrounding the |
| to stay for two days and soon I would actually be in | | | | dolphin-safe tuna issue. I did not know this, just like I am |
| the water with a dolphin. Dolphins Plus was our | | | | assuming that most Americans do not. Dolphin-safe |
| destination. This trip was planned with the dolphins as | | | | labels do not necessarily mean no dolphins were hurt |
| the highlight, it had been in the planning for a year. I was | | | | or killed, just less. That is unacceptable. Since the onset |
| so excited that sleeping the night before was difficult. It | | | | of purse seining in the 1950s, seven million dolphins |
| was finally morning and we headed for the Dolphins | | | | have been killed. Purse seining, the preferred method |
| Plus facility. Dolphins Plus is a education and research | | | | for tuna fishing, involves the use of a large net that |
| facility located on Key Largo. Dolphins Plus heads up | | | | would capture dolphins and the main target tuna, which |
| the Marine Mammal Conservancy, which works to | | | | swim in schools under dolphins. The idea is that the |
| rescue, rehabilitate and release injured marine | | | | dolphins get out but they all do not. Since dolphins |
| mammals. While we were there the Conservancy | | | | breath air they can be easily drowned or injured when |
| was working with a group of pilot whales that | | | | trapped in a net. In 1990 the three main companies, |
| stranded themselves in the Keys. | | | | Starkist, Chicken of the Sea, and Bumble Bee, that |
| We had reservations to participate in a structured | | | | supply 90% of the tuna in the US started using the |
| swim with the dolphins. During the structured swim two | | | | dolphin-safe label, which indictes that no dolphin deaths |
| people entered the water with two dolphins. A trainer | | | | have been observed. Observed being the key word. |
| was present. We were asked to get in, my son and I | | | | Now the government wants to loosen these dolphin |
| went first. The next step was to hold out our arms | | | | safe rules, so we can import more tuna from Mexico, |
| with palms down. The dolphins swam close to us with | | | | the country that both harvests the most tuna but also |
| their backs arched so we could touch them. This was | | | | kills the most dolphins. |
| how they got used to us and us to them. I could not | | | | |