Swimming in Style

The month of April delivered a very exciting experience to this Flagler Insider – swimming with the dolphins at Marineland Dolphin Conservation Center. At the northern tip of Flagler County lies the Town of Marineland, home of the Marineland Dolphin Conservation Center and a town which houses 13 dolphin and only 9 residents. Originally named Marine Studios in 1938, Marineland was developed for underwater footage for Hollywood films and was known as the "World's First Oceanarium". From there Marineland evolved into a place where you could go feed the dolphins and later pioneered dolphin training. Today's Marineland is a modern habitat that allows guests, such as myself, to visit up close and personal with dolphins.

I arrived at Marineland roughly 20 minutes early to prepare myself for the Immersion program and to peruse the quaint gift shop filled with stuffed dolphins, unique jewelry and paintings done by the dolphins who prove to be regular Picasso's as well as spectacular swimmers. Once our trainers were ready for us we were sent on our way to the main show, the dolphin habitat. The walk over was nothing short of amazing. The sidewalk runs adjacent to the Atlantic with views of picturesque beaches and soaring brown pelican on one side and dolphin performing acrobatics on the other.

The first part of the Immersion is dedicated to learning about the dolphins and how to handle them. When "petting" them we are told to keep an open palm and to note that dolphins shed their skin frequently which is why their surface is so smooth and why they may seem slimy at times. The dorsal fin can be used for identification as their ridges are different, much like a finger print and their main veins are located in their tails. Other important facts are that dolphins do not chew their food and while making friends with them in their habitat at Marineland is okay, engaging them in the wild is against the law. In fact, feeding wild dolphin teaches them that boats and humans equate to a food source which is how so many dolphin end up getting maimed by motors.

Then, the moment I had been waiting for was here. After our instruction we were sized for wet suits and sent to change into our gear. After wrestling with my wet suit, I was ready. The participants were split into groups and off we went to enjoy our adventures. Before I went swimming I got to meet some of the male dolphins, Sunny & Alvin, whom showed off their skills in jumping, hand shaking, hugging and kissing. The dolphins respond to hand signals, whistles and of course fish, which lets them, know they've done a good job. After shaking Sunny's tail and tossing fish in Alvin's mouth I was off to swim with some of the female dolphin.


Getting into the main pool was intimidating. The water was deep and even though I was wearing a personal floatation device I was thrown off by how far down the habitat actually went. The group bobbed over to the side of the tank for a demonstration on the speed of dolphins as they glide through the water and the depth of how far down they go when performing jumps. The abilities of these magnificent creatures are amazing. As a finale of sorts I danced with Phebe who spun me around with ease and as I moved back into standing water she promptly splashed me to say goodbye.

I was completely elated as I went to change back into my normal attire. The dolphin trainers and other staff members were extremely informative and enthusiastic, which helped this particular insider gain more appreciation for Marineland and the purpose they serve to educate visitors and locals alike. A Marineland photographer was present during my entire visit capturing memories that were made available for purchase at the end of my excursion. If you want to learn more about the Dolphin Conservation Center, please visit their website http://www.marineland.net/. There are a variety of fun programs for the whole family – whether you wish to immerse yourself, touch & feed the dolphins, be a trainer for a day or have your very own original dolphin painting. Go for the education, the fun and the experience of a lifetime.