For the Love of Dolphins

I grew up an only child, and actually an only grandchild on my Mother’s side. I spent many weekends with my grandparents. They entertained me constantly, going to movies, going to the country to buy eggs, driving to Tyler and Houston to see family, the Dallas Eagles baseball games at Burnett Field (with my grandpa!) At age six, we began to travel to Port Aransas Texas. My grandpa loved to fish in the waters of the Texas gulf coast. It was always a grand time for a little girl with grandpa teasing me about crabs biting my toes if I ventured into the water! I caught my first fish on the jetties…a HUGE red fish…about a pound but felt like 10! The most exciting times were taking the car ferry from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas. Those many years ago, the only way to get to the island was by car ferry. On those many trips, dolphins would surf the wake of the ferry. What a delight for a six year old from land locked Oak Cliff!

Those times with my grandparents were just the best, and it from from them I developed my adoration and love of dolphins. As I grew older, my times at the coast dissolved into memories. But these memories remain vivid and I never forgot the beautiful marine mammals.

In 1972, A marine mammal park, Seven Seas, opened in Arlington Texas. It was a large park built by the city of Arlington with a whale, sea lions, penguins and…finally a chance to see my beloved dolphins. For four years I visited as much as I could. The park closed in 1976 leaving me longing to visit my precious dolphins. So, unable to visit, my passion for these beauties turned to collecting dolphins of crystal, china, porcelain, wood, brass, or ceramic figurines. Some were gifts, some were purchased, all were gently place in my lighted curio cabinet.

Then along came my knight in shining armor on a white steed! Or rather a motorcycle🥰. Mike and I married in 1982 (8-2-82, so he could remember!) and our first real vacation was November 1982 to San Diego. Of course! SeaWorld San Diego was certainly on my bucket list! Since that time many trips have been made to SeaWorld San Diego as well as Orlando. Even two trips to Discovery Cove gave me opportunity to swim with a dolphin. Knowing I would most likely never have the opportunity to swim with a dolphin in the wild, I did swim with a dolphin under human care.

Fast forward to my move to Oldsmar (near Clearwater) FL from Nashville., I grabbed the opportunity to volunteer at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA). CMA is not a traditional aquarium, but a not for profit rescue, rehabilitation and release facility. All our animals are deemed unreleasable due to various problems that hinder life in the wild. They are still wild animals and are treated as such with the greatest of human care. As a volunteer, I’m not allowed to swim with them or touch them without trainer approval, but I get very close to these beautiful smiling faces, and sometimes I’m given a “treat” to spray Hope with a water hose! She loves catching the water flow in her mouth. It’s been almost six months and I look forward to my one day a week with all the marine mammals! If I ever make it volunteer 3 from volunteer 2, I will have a little intervention time with them…but first I need 520 volunteer hours! It’s gonna be a while since I only have 130 hours as of the end of February. So unless I pick up another volunteer day, I still have 1.5 years to go!

Marine mammals simply give me joy. To look in the faces of marine life, to see the beauty God created, is touching. Our newest dolphin arrived in December 2021. Apollo was rescued in May 2021 on the Florida Space Coast, where he beached. After seven months of treatment for parasites, he was deemed non releasable due to hearing loss, and CMA was granted Apollo his permanent home. At two years old he still lacked learning skills he would have learned from his mother until age 6+ years, she he is being nurtured by Hope and PJ!

On arrival, he required 24 hour observation and I was fortunate enough to “babysit” with him for 4 hours one evening. It was pure pleasure.

And so…the dolphins…PJ, Hope, Apollo, Nicolas and Hemingway; and the North American River Otters…Walle and Boomer… of Clearwater Marine Aquarium say bye for now. Enjoy!