Journeys›Photograph

A Day Spent Swimming with Dolphins

·#swimming#water#animals#pool#dolphins
A person in a snorkel mask holds a dolphin in a large blue pool with other people and buildings in the background.

This was a unique afternoon back in February 2013. The weather was clear and sunny, making the water in the massive pool a startlingly bright blue. The whole experience was very organized, with other people around the perimeter, but once you were in the water it felt very personal.

We got suited up with snorkel masks and rash guards before getting in. The photos go back and forth between the surface and the world underneath. From above, you can see the scale of the enclosure, with palm trees and buildings in the distance. The wide-angle lens captures the whole scene under the blue sky.

Underwater was a different experience. It was quiet, and the sunlight filtered down through the water, making patterns on the floor of the pool. It was incredible to be that close, swimming alongside such a large animal. We got to hold on for a ride and just observe it moving through its element. It was a very specific, surreal, and memorable day.

A person in a blue shirt and flippers hugs a dolphin underwater with its mouth open.A person wearing a blue rashguard and goggles hugs a large dolphin underwater in clear blue water.A person swims underwater next to a dolphin, with sunlight patterns visible on the sandy bottom.An underwater view of a person snorkeling next to a dolphin in clear blue water with sunlight patterns.A person in a mask swims in a blue pool alongside a dolphin, with other people and buildings in the background.A person wearing a mask underwater holds onto a dolphin's dorsal fin in clear blue water.A person wearing goggles and a swimsuit hugs a dolphin underwater in clear blue water.A person in a snorkel mask swims with a dolphin in a large blue pool, with buildings and a hill in the background.

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