One More for the Road

on Feb 17, 2011, I went out with China Mike & Celeste for one final endearing dolphin encounter on my last morning in Hawaii. My intention was to spend as much time in the water as possible with my cetacean family.

After China concluded our morning prayer, we motored to Kehole bay, where 150 dolphins were just beginning to congregate. I slipped into the ocean and connected with the same ‘frisky group’ of 12 – 18 dolphins who had entertained us for the past three days. They were characteristically loud, playful and in the mood for love!

In the Zone

I was repeatedly able to dive down into the midst of the podlet, and surface while completely enveloped by swirling dolphin bellies, pectoral fins, tails, and noses. I love being immersed in silver sunbeams streaming through the blue-violet water amid dolphin eyes and rostrums as we kick towards the surface.

There were six dolphins in the frisky group that were particularly friendly. One of them had 2 remoras hanging on for a free ride!

We played actively for nearly an hour, covering the expanse of the bay while dodging snorkelers and boats, as the larger pod swam under and alongside the cavorting group. At times the frisky podlet would swim too fast and out of my field of vision, and I would connect with slower & more restful groups of dolphins.

Eventually I settled into a slower pace, moving in a wide arc around the bay to observe the wide & diverse variety of dolphin behaviors. China Mike allowed our group to stay in the water for as long as passengers wanted, until we had to return to the harbor. I was in for the duration, and enjoyed nearly three hours of dolphin-immersion!

Moments to Remember

Some of my most precious moments occurred towards the end of the encounter, when there were very few snorkelers in the bay. I was swimming amid the larger pod, sending love and appreciation to them as they gently surfaced all around me. The six rowdy dolphins seemed to sense that it was time for me to go, because they corralled me towards the boat and engaged me in one last diving frolic, looking me right in the eye so that I could express my gratitude.

Then, as I slowed my pace, a pair of dolphins surfaced millimeters from me and swam in parallel, close enough for me to feel their heartbeats and their love. It was an amazing send-off… and I exited the water, exhausted and completely saturated with the grace of unconditional acceptance.