A Winter Trip to Swim with Dolphins

We spent a week somewhere warm in mid-January 2019. The sun was bright and intense the whole time. One afternoon we went to a marine park for a dolphin encounter. The water in the pools was a brilliant, almost surreal shade of blue under the clear sky.

After we all got into life vests, our group got into the water with a trainer. The first thing we saw was one of the dolphins leaping high into the air, which really gives you a sense of their power. From there, the experience was very hands-on.

We got to swim with them and interact with them directly. Their skin has a smooth, rubbery texture unlike anything else. It's a very structured activity, but everyone in our group, from the adults to the kids, was clearly enjoying the chance to be so close to these animals. The photos pretty much capture the feeling of the day—lots of smiling and splashing in the bright sun.