One chatty mammal met another chatty mammal during a delightful afternoon in the water.
The excursion van picked us up late afternoon and took us for a short drive through downtown Cancun and dropped us off at the marina.
We put on lifejackets and were escorted down the dock to where the dolphins were.
T was very anxious and scared at first. But once he got into the water, he warmed up and let the dolphins approach him.
The staff were excellent and T followed their instructions closely.
He laughed heartily as the dolphins splashed water at us with their fins and tails and he had the most endearing smile as they swam up to him and allowed T to press his cheeks against theirs.
We enjoyed letting the dolphins circle us. T gently petted them, carefully following the instructions to not pet them on their faces.
We then did a “stunt” with them, letting them come up behind us and lift us up by our feet.
T was very hesitant at first but warmed up to the idea. He swam out by himself and waited patiently for the dolphins to lift him up.
Look at how high he went!
We were so amazed and while T would not admit it out loud, the look on his face as he swam back to the dock told us he felt very proud.
T got to do an extra activity, the dorsal swim (below), and went for a short ride by hanging onto the dolphin’s fin.
I’m tempted to share the full photo because the look of sheer joy on his face was heartmelting.
You’ll just have to take my word for it.
This has been an unforgettable family vacation – and one that is coming to an end when he head home tomorrow afternoon.
Despite the few hair-raising meltdowns T had, I am very thankful for the time away and together – and for the wonderful memories we’ll treasure forever.
This vacation looks so awesome!! My older one swam with dolphins with my.dad. my youngest didn’t swim well at that point in time. Maybe soon. Safe journeys back!
Hope it can happen for your youngest one too!
All three of you will never forget this vacation. It looks like T had a great time with the dolphins, what fun!
Thanks Diane! It was very memorable and we miss it already. Back to work and school tomorrow. 🙃
What an amazing adventure, that’s truly making days special
Thanks Gary. It was a wonderful afternoon and a special memory we will remember for a long time.
Animals have a great effect on kids. So glad you did that, and that the dolphins weren’t caged at Seaworld
Thanks so much. I agree that animals are so great! To be honest, the dolphins were in an enclosure, but to your point, in natural water rather than an aquarium like SeaWorld.
Well, that’s fair. They are in their natural habitat at least
That looks like so much fun! I’ve always wanted to swim with dolphins. Tried to once in New Zealand but the weather Gods said no. It remains on the bucket list. Glad to see you had a great time doing it. Amazing experience for the whole family. Wishing you and yours well Ab!🙏
Thanks AP. Sorry about the NZ weather but hopefully you and the family will get to try it one day soon. And NZ is on my bucket list to visit one day! 😊 Take care.
Glad to hear that T was able to get over his initial anxiety and try something new. Swimming with the dolphins sounds like such a fun experience. He looks like a natural performing that stunt with the dolphin and again when he’s hanging on the dolphin’s fin! It’s nice that you were able to capture some of those moments on camera. Sounds like a great way to end your vacation. Safe travels home tomorrow.
Thanks Linda. It was a lot of fun and I’m so glad he turned his anxiety around and created such a memory for himself. They had a photographer – didn’t allow you to bring your camera – cuz it’s all about the tourist trap. 😆 But it was worth paying for the photos for these memories.
We leave the resort at Noon today so we’re gonna squeeze in some more pool time before we head out and home.
One of the things about kids that I’m very envious of is their fearlessness and willingness to try new things, even if there is some initial anxiety. That and how much energy they have! It’s too bad we lose a lot of that when we get older. I’d say the photographer definitely earned their money for those pictures! It’s definitely worth it to remember those special memories. Hope you had a safe flight home. And welcome back to winter!
Ahhh, the holiday ends too soon! It’s so nice to see T enjoying his moments around the dolphins, out in the sea not in some kind of artificial pool. I bet he’s going to tell his friends back home about this experience.
Thanks Bama. It was fun and I agree with your comment about the dolphins living in the water (enclosed, admittedly) versus in a pool.
And yes, he’s definitely be talking about this for some time! 😊
What a wonderful adventure for you ALL, but especially for T!!! Just seeing the pictures brought a big smile to my face. Safe travels home, my friend. Thanks for sharing this joyous time with us!
Thank you Jill. It was wonderful to get away. We got up super early this morning so we can squeeze in some time by the pool before we have to check out and leave. 😊
Oh, wow. What a wonderful experience! I’m glad T leaned into it all and enjoyed his time with the dolphins ❤️
Thank you! We are very thankful he leaned (I love that word) into the experience and I hope the warm memories will always be there for him through grayer days.
That is so so so cool!! I love this. I’m wondering in the picture where all three of you are in it – there is like a wave or a drop off behind your back. Is that just a wake from the dolphin?
I love your adventurous spirits and that you are making such amazing memories. Fantastic and unforgettable! <3 <3 <3
Thanks Wynne. It really was an amazing adventure and one I’ll always treasure. The wave behind us was from the dolphin swimming around us. 😊
A-amazing!! Wow!
oh wow! What a cool adventure!
Blessings!
It was a cool adventure indeed. 😊
I just love everything about this post Ab! So glad you’ve all had a wonderful vacation!
Thank you Deb. It was a wonderful time and sad for it end soon but thankful for all the memories made.
That looks like fun !!!
It was fun! Thanks Faith. 😊
What an incredible experience for T and the whole family. My heart feels so full imagining his look of sheer joy playing with the dolphins! 🥰🥰🥰 I have so much respect for you choosing to preserve T’s privacy and think you’ve struck the perfect balance of sharing and withholding.
Thank you! It indeed was a heart filling experience and the best part was experiencing it through his eyes. 💕
Loved your lead paragraph. Very funny
Thanks Brian. The lead sentence served its porpoise after all! 😆