They appear playful, curious; they show off, display a certain joie de vivre, and even look us right in the eye – all personality traits we claim as our own!   Like us, they’re mammals, and are therefore warm-blooded, have lungs that breathe air, give birth to their young and nurse them.  Add these facts - they have large brains, live in complex societies, help one another, learn from experience.  It’s no wonder we’re intrigued.There’s a bit of envy too.  We wish, that like them, we could transition effortlessly between the air above the surface and the mysterious sea beneath it.  We wish we could frolic with abandon beneath the sea, unfettered by flippers, snorkels and masks.

Since at least as far back as the ancient Greeks, human characteristics have been attributed to the dolphin.  In some Greek myths they appear in the nick of time to rescue lost seamen, transport humans from the sea to serve a larger purpose, and are depicted as once human, transformed from human to dolphin through act or deed. They were so important in the culture of ancient Greece, that they appear in sculpture, pottery, and mosaics, and the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy named one of his original constellations Delphinus, the dolphin.

However we spin it, there is no doubt that the attraction is there, and in resort destinations all over the globe people attempt to connect with them.  We flock to see them in the wild on dolphin watching trips, applaud their choreographed performances in facilities where they are trained to entertain, clamor for the chance to “swim” with them, either in captivity or in the wild.

In Florida, bottlenose dolphin are the ones you’ll see, captive or in the wild.  Captive dolphins are headline acts in major aquatic facilities where they are trained to leap through hoops, beach themselves on platforms, jump in unison, and “tail walk.” These attractions include big, splashy Sea World in Orlando; smaller Marineland, between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, where dolphin have been entertaining tourists since 1938; Miami Seaquarium in Miami; the Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach on Florida’s panhandle; and Theater of the Sea, halfway down the Florida Keys.

In addition to the staged performances, these attractions offer dolphin encounters - immersions or “swims,” shallow water contact, feedings, and trainer for a day experiences - all under the supervision of trainers.  In land-locked Orlando, the all-inclusive Vegas-style “island retreat” resort, Discovery Cove, offers scheduled interactions in tropically landscaped lagoons with its resident dolphins.

In the Florida Keys, Dolphin Cove Marine Mammal Education Center in Key Largo and Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key are more low-key, emphasizing the marine education component of their facility by demonstrating and explaining the intelligence and abilities of the dolphin, as well as offering “swims” with their resident dolphin in on-site coastal lagoons.

“Swimming” with dolphins sounds exciting, but it is not without controversy.  Much has been written about the appropriateness of such interactions, and the concerns of conservationist are available online.  For those wishing to “swim” with dolphins in the wild, it’s important to remember that while we have personified them and attribute playful qualities to them, they are first and foremost big, strong, unpredictable wild creatures. There are regulations overseeing human/dolphin interactions and they vary greatly throughout the world.  In some locations, the ability to get in the water with them is restricted to those holding special permits.  Check with the operator at your destination to fully understand what the experience holds.

While watching trained captive dolphins perform is entertaining, and being in the water with them exciting, there is no better way to see dolphins than in the wild, in their own habitat, on their own terms, doing what they do naturally.

Throughout Florida, the popularity of ecotours is rising as tourists increasingly seek out the chance to catch sight of wildlife unique to the area.  Those offering dolphin sightings provide the chance to get out on the water to experience these wonderful creatures, unchoreographed!  The moment is special when suddenly, out of nowhere in the never-ending expanse of sea, a pod of dolphin suddenly surfaces.

Such an encounter is exhilarating, usually accompanied by shouts of “Dolphin – over there!”  What a sight it is! They surface, rolling upward in a “porpoise” motion, breathe through their blow hole, only to “porpoise” back under again.  Before you know it, they pop up again, amazingly far away, a testament to their incredible underwater speed.  They leap into the air with joyous abandon.

They swim, sleek and streamlined, just below the surface, right up in front of the bow of the boat, keeping just ahead of the boat’s forward speed, a majestic bowsprit leading the way.  Or, they zoom up to the boat out of nowhere, break the surface purposefully parallel to the boat, roll a bit to one side to peer up with one eye!

All along Florida’s coast, these wonderful naturally-occurring encounters happen just by chance, on trips aboard boats of all sizes.  In Tampa, the Florida Aquarium, which does not exhibit dolphins, offers a Wild Dolphin Ecotour on a boat ride out to areas dolphin frequent.  On day trips aboard smaller charter boats like Wild Dolphin Adventure in Key West, you might see them frolicking in their natural habitat, on the move, searching for fish to eat.  While dolphin are always the star attraction, a trip like this is a  wonderful chance to get out in the turquoise water of the pristine “back country” of the Florida Keys to enjoy memorable times swimming, snorkeling and bird watching in the crystal clear Gulf waters.

Pay attention when you’re out there!  You may get lucky and experience the best sight of all – As these majestic creatures break the surface of the sea nearby, one just may be accompanied by a calf, tucked in tight alongside her, mimicking her every move, but in miniature form!

Shamu…you complete me.

If you are looking for excellent Tours and Attractions, one of my favorite Theme Park Attractions in Orlando, Florida is SeaWorld. Put this one on your list. I like the size of the grounds for easy navigation, the variety of venues and shows and the relaxing pace.

Spent the day there on Sunday and really had a blast! The weather was perfect, the staff was friendly and the animals were in a playful mood.

Sea World, like most theme parks, is always refreshing, refurbishing and creating while keeping its core traditional elements. What would a visit to SeaWorld be without seeing the Clydesdale horses near the hospitality center, feeding the stingrays or enjoying the Dolphin nursery? At the same time, there are fences up around new project areas and circus show is restaged since I was there last time. “Odyssea” is much better in my opinion with a strong story line and wonderful performers. I particularly liked the acrobats dressed as penguins.

Another change was not as enjoyable. The dolphin area in Key West now has more restricted access. Used to be, you could stand around the entire side of the lagoon but now they have small, roped off areas for viewing and feeding. SeaWorld is a leader in conservation and education so I can only hope this was done in the best interest of the dolphins, since it really limits the guests. One of my favorite areas is actually behind the lagoon for underwater viewing of the Dolphins where you have a much better view of these beautiful mammals. To their credit, SeaWorld has many, many animal encounter programs where you can get really up close and personal. I’d like to do the shark cage!

The newest excitement at SeaWorld is about the Aquatica water park that just opened across the street. I plan to go as soon as it gets warmer but it sounds amazing! The highlight is a 300 foot water tube slide that flows through a lagoon filled with black and white Commerson’s dolphins. White sand beaches, duel wave pools, slides and animal interaction promise to make Aquatica a hit.

I always relish my visits to tours, attractions and museums in Orlando, Florida and it looks like, once again, there will be more to love in 2008.  More Pics here.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in Orlando, Florida last week was wonderful!
This showcase brings so many different vendors under one roof that it makes your head spin. Special effects, inflatables, hot dog carts, rides, animatronics, scenery, vending, ticketing, maintainance, popcorn machines, software, 3-D theaters and even dinner in the sky.

The sights, sounds and smells were amazing!
 

One of my favorite displays was from Scarefactory. This animatronic headless horseman reared up on it’s hind legs while the horseman swung his sword…very cool.

The Expo can be overwhelming in it’s size and complexity. Preplanning helps but so many things grab your attention once inside. This is the place to find amusement and attraction vendors and see the latest in the industry. IAAPA will be returning next fall to Orlando and non-members are usually invited on the last day. I’ll see you there!

Shuttle Discovery launched from the Kennedy Space Center complex at 11:38 and was a sight to behold! Up, up, up into the burning blue. A beautiful white trail with a little fire at the end and she was out of sight.

Don’t forget that the Shuttle is soon to retire. Get it while it’s hot. I got an email from KSC last week saying they still had a few viewing spaces available for today’s launch, just a week out. That’s good news if you want to see one of these modern marvels of technology before it’s too late. Here’s the latest from NASA

One small step…

Here it is: Disney’s 2008 Dream Catalog. The new, extended Year of a Million Dreams includes “dreams money can’t buy.” These special events will be given away to lucky recipients visiting Disney Parks.

How about attending the premier of High School Musical 3 or being the guest of honor at the largest character breakfast…ever? Sounds fantastic.

I’ll be in Orlando, Florida soon for the International Food and Wine Festival but now I need to read my catalog and Dream…

Three cheers for Josh Hallett and his friends. Blogorlando was spectacular! Well, as spectacular as an “unconference” on blogging should be.

We gathered at Rollins College in Orlando, Florida to learn, share and participate with some of the sharpest minds available. Many don’t see the opportunity but every tourism related business would benefit from joining the conversation here.

Social media, networking and web presence were discussed and debated throughout the day. One highlight was Shel Israel, author of Naked Conversations who kicked off the events and added great insight. He was generous with his time and his knowledge. So were all of the speakers there, really. Great group of people.

You can learn more about Blogorlando here. Time to start talking with people who care.

Giddy up…

Space Shuttle Discovery has begun it’s journey for a scheduled October 23rd launch at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Check out the process at Spaceflightnow. (Great photos too!)

Just got reminded that the Kennedy Space Center Complex in Florida has only 14 more shuttles scheduled to launch before retiring in 2010. Better see one while you still can! The next one is scheduled for October 23rd.

Also got word about some very cool military aeriel demonstrations scheduled there in November. They are part of the 50 year celebration of space by the World Space Expo. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute teams will be there along with demo’s of other great aircaft.