There are very few places in the world where humans can swim with dolphins, so we should consider ourselves privileged to have the „Dolphin Adventure” saltwater pool so close to us in Nuevo Vallarta. Alex, the head trainer, carefully selected the five dolphins that live there now from over 50 specimens found in the wild.

The four females and one male are obviously loved and very well cared for by all the experienced trainers and general staff out there; and Alex’s trainees have come to trust the peaceful nature of the humans who enter their private domain to spend a little time in their company.

I love animals of all types, but when the time came for me to actually enter the pool, I hesitated. I wasn’t afraid, I was just in awe of these huge, gentle, smiling creatures (dolphins always look as if they’re smiling). Once I had finally gone down into their pool, they came up to me and tilted their immense bodies, seemingly just waiting to be caressed like large friendly dogs. But dolphins are very different from dogs. First of all, they weigh around four hundred pounds and they’re very strong. If they happen to catch you with their tail fin as they change direction, watch out! It can hurt. And too, they’re not furry; their skin is soft, a little slimy, and a little rubbery to the touch.

The dolphin trainers showed the six in my group how to hold the animals by their flippers (or forelimbs) as they floated on their backs, to let them know that they should take us for a ride, belly to belly. Overpowering? Yes! Impressive? Absolutely! These babies are also trained to come up behind you, two at a time, and push you by the soles of your feet until you are skimming through the water at what feels like Mach 4 speed! What a rush!

A pair of them will jump over you as you bob in the pool like some sort of silly buoy in your life vest, and then swim away in that wonderful, graceful, streamlined motion they have perfected through some sixty million years of evolution. What an amazing experience it is! No one really wanted to get out of the pool, but our time was up so we all went to the nearby observation deck, where we were each given a gift of the video that had been taken of our experience, already beautifully edited and set to music.

There are headphones on the deck for listening to all sorts of interesting information about dolphins – in a choice of languages. „Dolphin Adventure” also has a boutique where you will find cetacean-related CD’s, videos and of course, t-shirts.

You can also purchase a photo of yourself being kissed by a dolphin if you like. Personally, if I had such a photo, I would look at it often just to remind myself how very extraordinary the inhabitants of our oceans are, and how careful we must always be to ensure not only their survival, but also that of this entire little planet we call home.

Dolphin Adventures is located at the end of the south entrance to Nuevo Vallarta. The dolphins are just one of the natural attractions of the Bay of Banderas. Along with the Humpback Whale (winter), the sea turtles (summer), and the dolphins, fish, coral, birds and crocodiles all year round, they are of special interest to eco-tourists.