Just Me and Flipper

Despite not feeling well, I still managed to get in the water with a dolphin in the Florida Keys.

Meet Jax. Or AJ. I can’t remember which one shook fins with me.

*Please focus on the dolphin and not my never-seen-the-light-of-day tummy.

While Kiefer was scuba diving, I surprised Boo and Radley with a visit to the Dolphin Research Center (where Flipper lived). Below is a pic of both of the dolphins we interacted with.

Jax was rescued when he was about eight months old. He was all by himself and the victim of a shark attack, so he’s missing part of his dorsal fin, tail fluke, and right pectoral flipper. Tough little guy.

Not only did we get to touch the dolphins, we also gave commands that the trainers use, and got in a splash fight with the dolphins.

I learned a lot about dolphins, which I’m unable to share with you because once in the water, my mind began chanting,”Just let me touch the dolphin…Just let me touch the dolphin!”

Here’s what I remember:

• Dolphins are cute.
• Dolphins like ice cubes.
• Don’t get in a splash fight with a dolphin. The dolphin will win.
• Dolphins are huge.

Just like when a wolf sat in my lap, being in an animal’s environment and being vulnerable to that animal makes you realize just how big it is. And also how beautiful.

Thanks, DRC, for helping me cross something off my 35 Before 35 List.

Favorite Comment From Last Post: “Whenever I hear of something bad happening – like my friend’s oven door falling off on Thanksgiving and her trying to find someplace to finish her turkey – I think ‘that will be a good story when it stops sucking.’ So…I stand behind your spectacular death thesis.”—Kitten Thunder

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