Middle Way

I work for a small business that takes people out to swim with dolphins - an experience that for me surpasses most. I find the range of reactions to the trip a fascinating lesson in human psychology. There are those tourists that have never seen dolphins in their life and even the slightest glimpse is enough to have them reeling in delight ( this is me 10 years later!). I love those tourists. They are constantly asking questions and listening so attentively to the answers in between the squeals of joy when the dolphins breach by the boat. Swimming is an added bonus for them but mostly being in the aura of the creatures leaves them on a buzz for the rest of the day. Then there are the ones that do not find the dolphins themselves overly impressive but become obsessed with the swimming part. They must hold fantasties of riding on Flipper's dorsal fin and playing hide and seek with them because they are certainly not content with watching. So we put them in, and of course the dolphins swim away...and this type of tourist is upset..."I didn't see them!!" This can sometimes continue until the point of the activity is entirely lost.

On the odd occasion we don't find them I do like to remind people...isn't it wonderful that these creatures are wild and can choose to swim away and hide from us if they choose, wouldn't you rather know they're out there free and happy than us guarantee you some captive dolphins? I'm sure glad. Even though sometimes the joy of the trip can be lost on a few people, everytime we find them, or even drive out on the boat to look, I get those familiar pangs of excitement, my breath quickens and there's a high chance I'll be grinning from ear to ear.