Stan Wawer and Cathy Kruzic take a ride on a dolphin at Dolphin Adventure. (Dolphin photos courtesy of Vallarta Adventures. Barcelo photo by Stan Wawer.)
By Stan Wawer
Finally, on a warm October day in Puerto Vallarta, I was going to check off another item on my life’s to-do list. I was going to swim with the dolphins just a short drive from one of Mexico’s more famous resort towns.
Nuevo Vallarta, Nyarit is home to Dolphin Adventure, which was started 13 years ago by Vallarta Adventures. “It is owned by a gentleman named Eduardo Farkes,” said Gareth Price, sales manager for Vallarta Adventures. “We have 19 dolphins here now and have been in this facility nine years.”
Bottlenose dolphins can hold their breath for about 15 minutes if they need to and live about 35 years; 52 in captivity because of the care they receive. There biggest threat in the wild are Orca whales and tuna nets.
“I have one of the most amazing jobs in the world,” said Wayne Phillips, Dolphin Adventure’s general manager. “I get the opportunity to work with not only those whales, dolphins and sea lions, but I get to make everybody’s dreams come true.
“People who dream about swimming with dolphins come to our beach here and we fulfill those dreams,” Phillips added. “Here at Dolphin Adventure, we use our dolphins to educate people. These animals act as ambassadors and we respect them as such.”
I had to go through about a 20-minute orientation, but when it came time, I enthusiastically jumped into the water to swim with these incredible creatures of the sea.
I waited with alacrity for my turn to hop a ride and when it came, lacking all consternation, I happily grabbed hold of the fins and prepared myself for an exhilarating ride around the lagoon at breakneck speed (dolphins can swim as fast as 21.7 mph). It is a magical experience. We went in pairs. Cathy Kruzic, a Denver resident, and I could not stop smiling as our dolphins powered us through the water.The dolphins, our group was told by a trainer, respond only to hand signals; they never follow voice commands. Their primary reinforcement is fish; love and affection is the secondary reinforcement. Dolphin Adventure also has programs for children and one to interface with the sea lions.
The dolphin signature swim is $149 for adults and $104 for children. It includes a face-to-face small-group encounter, which allows you a fascinating opportunity to touch, feed, play, learn and swim with the dolphins. It is during this time that you get to pet them as they swim around you. As these magnificent mammals performed, they took on almost anthropomorphic characteristics.
When I finished, my heart resumed something of its normal rhythm as my body bobbed up and down in the water like a buoy as I watched the others in my group take their turn around the tank.
Dolphins are an incredible species, with strange sleeping habits. They rest a half of their brain at a time so that one eye is always open. It allows them to rise to the surface to breathe and to protect themselves from predators. These warm-blooded mammals are one of the most intelligent creatures in the ocean and not to be confused with porpoises. Dolphins have conical-shaped teeth; porpoise teeth are squared.
I finished up my encounter with the dolphins standing on a platform at the end of the pool. I was waist high in water as they swam passed for a final touch before saying farewell to us with complex aerial maneuvers — awe-inspiring up to the final moment. For me it was a memorable experience.
Go online to www.vallarta-adventures.com to learn about the other dolphin programs including the dolphin swim experience, dolphin encounter, dolphin kids, trainer for a day (the most expensive at $265 for adults and children) and the special needs program.
“Most people do not have the opportunity to observe Bottlenose dolphins in the wild,” Price said. “The unique opportunities to observe and learn directly from live animals increases public awareness and appreciation of wildlife that exists only in places such as the Vallarta Adventure Dolphin Center.”
Vallarta Adventures has a number of other outdoor activities available as well as the exclusive Rhythms of the Night at Las Caletas.
“We have the mountains, we have the sunsets, we have the history as opposed to Cancun,” Price said with true sales manager gusto. “It is more of an adult evening but we take them from 6 years and up.”
Rhythms of the Night is $89 per person. The evening begins with a scenic cruise across Banderas Bay to the isolated cove of Las Caletas. The cove is inaccessible from the road. You must take a boat.
As the sun sets into the Pacific Ocean, passengers enjoy drinks, food and entertainment. You will dine under the stars at a private beachside table and then it’s show time at the outdoor amphitheater, the scene set by a torch-lit pyramid.
John Huston, the late Oscar-winning director and scriptwriter had a home at Las Caletas, which is now part of the restaurant. In 1963, Huston filmed “The Night of the Iguana,” a 1964 release starring Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr, in Puerto Vallarta and nearby Mismaloya. Burton had brought Elizabeth Taylor, his soon-to-be wife, to the location shoot, which attracted swarms of paparazzi and turned Puerto Vallarta into a world-famous tourist attraction. A bronze sculpture, unveiled in 1987, stands on Isla del Rio Cuale in downtown Puerto Vallarta in honor of his role in creating the city’s reputation.
While in Puerto Vallarta, I stayed at the all-inclusive AAA Four-Diamond Barcelo La Jolla de Mismaloya resort. The beauty of this
place, beside its location, is that one price takes care of everything — food, drinks, entertainment and large, comfortable suites. It’s 45 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta international airport and about 20 minutes from the center of the town.
The resort sits in its own cove on the beach and features four pools, a Kids Club (ages 5 to 12), spa, fully equipped gym and steam rooms, free minibar (domestic liquor only), five-star restaurants, two bars and one cantina with Mexican snacks and spectacular scenery. The all-inclusive rate runs from $170 a night for a deluxe junior suite to $520 a night for the penthouse presidential suite. For more information, go to www.barcelo.com.
All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.
