DOLPHIN STORIES ABOUT INTERACTIONS WITH WILD DOLPHINS

There has been some really special moments with the dolphins.

When I was first here – the first summer I was here I remember a lady who had a little girl with here who was 3 or 4 years old from the wheat belt. The little girl was going for an operation. They came early and waited on the beach all day and off they went to Perth. They came back about 3 weeks later and we chatted that day and the lady had not been able to tell me that the little girl was not expected to survive the surgery and the only toy she wanted to take to the hospital was a toy dolphin. She survived the surgery. Again Thin Fin came in with Levy. I picked up the little girl and took her aside and Thin Fin came over and really looked at her. The little girl was laughing and the mother and I were really crying. It was so special to see the look on their faces. For the mother to see her little girl alive!

Thin Fin was always quite interested in children. Some dolphins do not treat people differently but Thin Fin would always react to children. She would come over and look up at the children. The look on the little girl’s face when she looked into the dolphins eye was really precious.

After I had back surgery a couple of years ago and I came back after being away for 4 weeks I went into the water with my snorkel Jet and Shanty both came up and sat about 30 cms away from my face. They sat there for ages side by side moving their heads back and forward. I could feel the echo location on my face it was so close. I could hear it and feel it. It was really good like greeting old friends. They do recognize us for sure. They do not know whether their echo location recognizes bone structure or what it is. When you walk into the water they just know. When I had been away for 2 or 3 years I went back into the water and in the middle of summer with 60 – 80 people in the water and Sharkey just whipped around and zig zagged through all the people and swam upside down around and around me. Bill was amazed and couldn’t believe that he recognized me but he definitely did. I hadn’t seen Sharkey in those 2 years. He was a funny old dolphin . He used to play chicken with you. He would be at the far end of the zone, Just turn and he would swim at you so fast, you would close your eyes and he would just stop in front of you. He was such a personality.

Jan and Shanty

The other stories would be about Uey. From what I hear about the old stories about Uey she would probably be a dolphin you would get amazing stories about. Some dolphins are more compassionate than others. Some connect more than others. I think it is like people. They all have a personality. Sharkey was a character. He loved kids. He was a really strong personality. Thin Fin was more gentle.

There were a lot of stories about pregnant ladies. We get a lot of pregnant ladies coming down and they all believe that dolphins connect with them. I personally do not believe that. They said that when Uey was here he would echo locate every pregnant lady across the stomach. Sigari and Sue Kalab would know. Uey sat in front of a lady one time and echo located her and when asked if she was pregnant she said no way. They got a letter from here 6 weeks later and she was pregnant.

Apparently there was a volunteer who had surgery and when she came back into the water Uey came behind her and she echo located her right where they put a tube into her kidneys. Uey was very perceptive. You get some dogs with amazing perception. It is the same with dolphins- some are and some aren’t.

I remember a man came down and he put his head into the water and the dolphin looked him straight in the face. The volunteer waited to see the look on his face but he looked away. She really expected a reaction from him and there was no reaction but when he turned around he had tears streaming down his face and he said he could not believe it, the feeling when the dolphin looked me in the face.’ I just can’t believe it effected me so much.’ You see some really amazing things.

In the interaction zone

Some people come here and really expect to have a big experience and others do not expect anything and have a big experience. It is really beautiful.

I love being there to share the first encounter with a dolphin with an overseas (and sometimes an Aussie) visitor. Some cannot contain their excitement and others are speechless.

How do you feel being with the dolphins?

It is hard to describe. I do not really feel a spiritual connection. I just enjoy being with them so much. It does so much for me. I really love them. To see them come in and see the looks on peoples faces. When kids go away from here and see a dolphin they will always remember that. Dolphins in the wild and wild animals in general will be better off because that child has got more awareness. That is what I get out of it.

I am quite a practical person but I just can’t stay out of the water when I see the dolphins. Every time is different. I just can’t stay away from them. It is totally addictive to me. I call this place Hotel California. You can check out but you can never leave.

I love the feeling so much. I don’t know how to describe it. I love the dolphins.

I love not knowing who is going to come in and seeing their different moods.

Shanty especially. She is a really peaceful girl. Shanty and I have a special connection. She was identified in 1989. We had 2 dolphins and they were numbered 18 & 19 were called "Stumpy" & "Stumpy and a half".

She started coming to the beach in 2000. I remember Phil was saying Stumpy and her calf are coming in. Sue was saying Stumpy and a half. We have to change her name and I was asked to find a name. She made everyone feel peaceful. I went home and I wanted to find a name to do with peace- just the way she made you feel. I called her Shanty- the sailor song. Scott had angel cards and the angel Shanty is the angel of peace. I think that is quite appropriate. Her calf is Osho and Sigari named her.

Can you tell us about your special connection with kangaroos?

I have looked after orphan joeys and have 2 at the moment. They are totally different to the dolphins because the dolphins come to the beach for the interaction but the little joeys have to bond with you because you are their mum. Our property joins the national park so as the joeys get older the joeys start to come and go with the wild kangaroos. They still have a connection with you. They come home and they have their cuddles and bottles. I always thought that the closest you could be to your animal was with your dog because I love dogs but the kangaroos are different because they are wild and to have them trust you that much is special. They reach up and hold your face in their hands. It is s totally different connection to the dolphin. Everything stops for the kangaroos. If the kids come home as I call them they have their bottles and sprawl out on the carpet and then go off again.

Jan with her friends

Have you seen any healing effect with these wild animals?

The effect people get from the dolphins is slightly different because dolphins are wild underwater mammals. You can’t observe them as easily in the wild as easily as you can observe kangaroos. Dolphins do come up close to you and you do see their face for the first time and you connect with that eye and that smile. With kangaroos it is different because you can just sit back and observe them.

I do see a huge connection with people and kangaroos. They are totally fascinated with them like the dolphins. You can lay down beside the roos and watch them and feel exhilarated and peaceful after that. I see it when I take the volunteers from here from overseas and they have not seen kangaroos before. Especially the way the roos will reach up and touch your face.

It is different to when I was teaching horse riding with the disabled. They are trying to master something on the back of the horse. They will give the horse a cuddle and try and connect but it is a different experience. With a wild animal it is more of an emotional thing for the people.

When I see it I feel privileged. It is the same as the wild kangaroos. I think to me it is that the animal is free to go but chooses to stay with you. That is where I see the similarity with the dolphins. With a domestic animal I suppose you expect it to do what it is doing. With the wild animals it is different.

From the animal point of view they definitely get something out of it. It is not just food They bond with us. I can see the difference with our kangaroos when they are out in the bush they will not let people near them. Out there the kangaroos wild instincts kick in. When they come home where it has been raised they are different. They are totally trusting.

To me you couldn’t get any more proof that they trust us than when Shanty brought her still born calf to us. We know the dolphins when they have a still born calf they keep it away from people and hide it but for her to bring her miscarried calf which was very tiny to the beach to me showed how much trust they have.

Nan- at the Dolphin Center…. November 27^th.

P. Just tell us some background of how long you have been here at the center, and what you have been doing and then what’s happened…what experiences you’ve had…that would be great.

N. Ok….well. I’ve been a volunteer for 5 years. The center itself changes quite a lot over those 5 years, and when I was first a volunteer, there weren’t as many dolphins coming in and …so it seems that …we actually built up this connection with the dolphins over the time I was here…and then what happened was that the dolphins – the females- would bring their calves, then they would bring their calves and they would bring their other calves with them …there seemed to be that connection that was happening, and I found that it was a very strong connection with me that when I started to go out on  the swim tours, which I did for 3 years.. and for me… I actually need to be right in the water to have that connection…so that was a very strong connection when you are actually in the water with the dolphins. You’re in their environment  and it is as if they’re drawing you in and connecting ..and I feel that to have that sort of very open mindedness about it …like what we were doing this morning…I thought was very amazing that to get that connection…that sort of mind connection…was really amazing for me. I wasn’t able to go out on the boat any longer , so I just felt that I had severed that connection with the dolphins and I felt very sad about it…and …but then I was thinking not long ago...why…that really I don’t have to have that physical connection with them now, because I have moved more into that spiritual connection…That’s why I came along to the workshop. When you had the workshop…because I just felt that the time was right for me to sort of get more into the …spiritual…and although I would really like to have the physical as well…I think it is like them saying/because it just didn’t work out for me to keep going out and...and I couldn’t work out why…you know… but I think it’s…think it’s...the sort of ...saying to me that I need to step away into a certain…that’s what I was asking you before….the dolphins don’t have to be there when you said that you were having that experience…that just sort of downloading of information and that connection…..you’re nowhere near the water even..so that I feel that I  can now do that once I allow myself you know because I got really annoyed….because I can’t go and the physical interaction with them so there wont be any interaction with them you know…but just by going to the workshop and by doing that experience this morning ..it sort of allowed me to open up…my sort of channels I suppose to allow that to come in.  So for me it was really blocking it before..

P. When you had the experiences in the water with the dolphins...can you just describe what was happening and where was it happening in your body?

N. It mainly first started off when Sharkey...because I was coming down when Sharkey was here…but also there was Fin Fin…and she had that wonderful female energy. She would come in with her calf and it was interesting because the calf should stay with her for a long time …you know the calf was really probably about 5 years old and still with Fin Fin, It was a mother and child connection..

P. So,  that connection with…

N. I think  that was mainly that was mainly the first connection I had with the dolphins which was with Fin Fin and her calf….and it seemed to me that it was the beautiful flowing feminine energy and I seemed to have a very strong connection with her when she would come in. She would come up to me, you know...and the calf would come up as well and they would both be there…quite often it would be this time of year and there would be nobody else around ...and I’d be down on the beach and they would come in just like that …beautiful one to one connection which I found really strong, and then with Sharkey it was more of the male connection. It was sort of that balancing of it  because he was really mischievous and he would do all sorts of funny things …but he had a very strong sort of spiritual connection , whereas she had the sort of maternal, sort of flowing , feminine

P. And you were sensitive enough to feel that?

N. I could yeh…yeh..

P. Was it within your body…..a knowing…..an intuitive knowing?

N. yeh…yeh…it was just a knowing, just a knowing, but it’s the real, when you get that point when you get that intuitive connection. It is that soul to soul sort of feeling.. when you get that eye contact with them you know that you have locked in to that, and from then on they know who you are. There can be a lot of people in the water, but they’ll come straight up to you

Or they won’t, for weeks on end. That sort of thing. But you will know that there’s that connection has been made. When you make that eye connection …like that you know. And then when I would go out on the boat it would be the very wild connection. You wouldn’t know who any of the dolphins were but it was just like accepting that when you got into the water that they might be busy or they might be feeding or they might be doing whatever. You don’t expect yourself to be the center of attention and have this great spiritual experience...it is just that you are accepting that you are in their territory and that you are going in the water and just become a sort of feeling that this is ..how…what it is like in the dolphin world, you know…it’s a little bit different from our own ego sort of thing, “oh well this dolphin is interacting with me, and it’s wonderful …and I’m a very spiritual being, type feeling,” ..it’s not that at all. It’s like just coming into being part of their world and them accepting you, and you accepting them in an open non ego sort of way. That’s how I felt.

many and amazing interactions

Interviews with Swim Tour participants- Jan 2006 Bunbury- Dolphin Discovery Center

Chris

PA- It this the first interaction with dolphins?

I have seen them from the shore and boats many times but this is the first time in the water

PA- Can you describe the experience?

What happened with me. I was wondering how they come so close I can touch them

They come closer then 1 metre. They were turning around. I was turning around.

I feel just- it was amazing- I am so lucky

Do you notice a change from how you felt before to now?

I was studying what might happen. It is amazing. I do not expect it. The noise gets louder when they get close

Andy

Age- 29, University, live Sydney from UK

Is this your first experience with dolphins?

This is my second experience. The first was in NZ at Kikoura with dusky dolphins

What was your experience today?

It was the first time you could hear them and It was really clear. All the clicking and buzzing. We were singing and humming. Dolphins dived under me. I saw the white of their belly

What did you experience?

Obviously excitement. We came to see the dolphins. You do feel that you are connecting with a special animal with intelligence. It was the aure of seeing them. It is so special. A lot of excitement.

Where did you notice the excitement?

Probably in stomach. It bubbles up. I found it takes your breath away

How do you feel now?

Pretty calm and ready to jump back in again

Is it different to the dusky dolphins?

David

How was it today?

I found it a little hard at first but when you got used to it was great..  There were a couple of times when two went by.  They kind of circled around and it was very good.  They did the clicking as well but I suppose its all around you.  Its a very odd feeling to have that clicking noise. 

The feeling of being in there and having the wild dolphins round you – can I ask you describe that. 

It is quite magical.  Its that feeling of connection you come from civilization to something that is in the wild. Its their civilization , they’re masters of the water and we are kind of sharing that with them -  its special.

After that interaction on the boat how is that feeling for you now?  It feels fine, yes and I can’t wait to go back in there and have another go. Age 40, educ - high school, works in business training, Weighbridge near London.

Pia

Swedish, age 29, teacher, university, lives in Sydney.

On the swim tour today just a summary of your experience. The first time I went in the water I saw three dolphins up close and two just swum up and stayed looking at me and went to the other side of me and moved round.  One was so close  I thought it was going to touch me.  I don’t know about distances in the water but it almost touched me.  As I was saying there is something really spiritual or mystical about dolphins particularly when they are touching and looking at you  and not just being in the water but they are actually making eye contact with you.  there is a feeling of a magical sensation or spiritual.

How would you describe that feeling within you – can you say in your body where you feel that experience?

I’d be hard pressed to say which part of my body but jut otherworldly as you are in the dolphin’s world. Its really nice to see another world.

And afterwards like on the boat and now how are you feeling?

I just feel relaxed I think – yer. I think today was possibly better as you could hear the noises whereas last time we did it in Kaikoura in NZ you couldn’t actually hear them and there were  a lot more people in the water like 40 or 50 instead of 15 and ..

How are you feeling now after that?

Probably relaxed. 

You made a comment too about the group leader.

Yer I thought she was excellent.  I have done this before where they just kind of left you to it whereas she was in the water there.

Saleema,Age 36, massage therapist, Sydney, business owner

Describe your interactions with the dolphins.

A feeling of incredible peace and lightness when I saw them.  It was like someone that you really deeply love coming in to your aura or vicinity- feeling of elation and calm , ecstasy – a quiet calm ecstasy. Like some one you deeply love like a relation – that was the feeling I got inside of me.  A real calm, the  feeling that someone I deeply love being was close to me.

What sort of feelings come up around that for you?

Yer just the feeling of a lot of lightness, and a sense of playfulness and yesterday particularly after spending time in the water with them when I got back to the house needing to be completely still.  There was all this energy in my body and a feeling of bliss throughout my body needing not to move at all but just to feel that bliss.  Then there was a lot of fire in my head as well in the evening – yer just the feeling of being zapped by energy and just needing to integrate that. Afterwards.

How and what happened then.

Yes that was yesterday – today was that feeling of peace and calm and yesterday was more feeling the energy after the interaction.

Today I am just feeling really excited after going out on the swim tour and ready to go out with the dolphins again

Paul

How was that for you?

It was fairly good. I enjoyed the ineractions.  It is the first time I have snorkeled and to see dolphins

And how did that feel?

Good.  Very enjoyable

Are you happy now?

Yes,

How was that for you today?

Superb.  Well we had a dolphin come out and swim under me.  My sister came out from England and didn’t see any.  Now I have a couple of photos for her.

How did that feel fo you with the dolphins swimming under you?

I dunno – its just really amazing really.  Something so wild swimming so close to you.  I don’t know how to explain it it was just…..

Was it a good feeling for you?

Yes it was really nice, very pleasant.

Simon

So just tell me what happened for you today.

It was good, it was good.

What happened – the dolphins were close to you?

The dolphins swam right under me..

Could you hear it?

No I didn’t hear anything.

But it was a good experience?

Yes a big one too.

Margaret

What happened for you today?

It was an amazing experience.  It was lovely.  So unreal swimming with the dolphins.  I dunno – just the feeling of being in the water with it. Just lovely. Lovely.  Really nice.It makes life worthwhile.  You realize that life is just work work work, But here you are getting back to your soul?/self?, back to nature.

Sung  -Kin Kin Age 35, therapist, facilitator, ex kindergarten teacher Denmark

I have seen the dolphins at Tin Can bay and out while lobster fishing.  I do prefer them I the wild where the people have the least impact rather than a place where they train the dolphins. In the town where I come from in Denmark they have a research center for dolphins.  So I have heard about the dolphins a lot and they have been in the vicinity of me. But I have never pursued or been interested in getting to know them as such.

How was the interaction on the beach?

It was nice to see them that close bit it wasn’t something that I personally find that interesting.  I prefer going out swimming with them but I like the fact that they come by their own free will and that they are protected in a way that other are not. I like that they came in so close and I liked it when the dolphin came up to this little baby without them trying to. I liked that.

So any particular feeling from them?

I was really like ‘oh my god’ this is such a blessing for the little girl.

So out on the swim tour today you had an interaction there?

Yes it was really nice and I wanted everyone to have a good experience so I was shouting out for them for Namara.

Any feelings again when you saw the dolphins?

It was more like surprise – I said ahh.  That whole thing of wanting to see them then when they are there getting really surprised.   Its not something I took for grmted would happen so when I saw them it was ohhh.  I don’t know what to call it really – just good.

And feelings now?

I’m just feeling elated and I am going to tell everybody they must go and swim with the dolphins.  I’m a little bit sad now because I ma leaving – it has been building up all day.  It’s a combination but it was really nice.

Saleema  after the swim tour

Saleema you had interactions in the water on the swim tour

Yes So much joy watching them playing in the water and tolling over each other and then in the water just listening to them all their whistles and everything ..yer then I was in the water on the second time and hearing all this whistling and wondering where they were then all of a sudden one came under me, swam under me and that was just wooooaahh and yer just on the way back just a lot of heart opening and tears coming down from my eyes.

Oh what was that about?

The sheer joy of them as beings and playing.  I think I am integrating the experience of it.  It was just amazing.  Yer.  Yer Watching them skim so fast through the water on the shore.  I haven’t seen anything like that before.  Beautiful.

Namara after being on the beach for a few days and out on the swim tour. 37, degree & courses for healing, Irish, living in Sydney.

Beach interactions – how was that for you

For me it feels pretty amazing being able to get so close to wild dolphins and that they actually must feel so safe because they do come so close even when there is a large group of people there.  To be able to see them within a foot of you is quite extraordinary - you feel joy in your soul, yes laughter, joy like they pull you out of yourself, just their physical presence, energy presence. Did any feelings come up for you in the interactions at the beach?

The main feeling is joy, a joy in your heart, your heart feels open, more joyous with everything.

Was anything happening in your body – any feelings in the follow up afterwards.

If anything a feeling of joy and peace.

Toady we were out with the dolphins – but you didn’t get to see a dolphin.

Not in the water but they came quite close to us but I didn’t see them.  But I’m not attached to that - it was exciting just standing on the boat and seeing them .  there were pods of dolphins all over the place and seeing their interactions and hearing about their culture- what’s going on and just seeing them in their natural environment doing their thing and their interactions with the fish and the birds and feeding. That was all very educational.  The word that keeps coming up for me is just joyful.  To watch them doing their thing, just being an observer.  Of course it would be magical to interact with them a bit more intimately but that will happen whenever it is meant to.  Yes fantastic.

Jennifer –

Just give me some of the experiences you had with the dolphins.

I felt very like.. an ecstatic joy whenever the dolphins were there and there was an afterglow.  Sometimes you need to lay down and just integrate all that excitement and joy.  And when you are in the water and you hear the sounds then when you actually see them up close that image stays with you for a very long time.

How would you describe any feelings of being with the dolphins?

It tends to bring up all the feelings that you are going through.  Definitely there is more joy but it can also bring up a lot of healing inside, maybe some tears and sadness, some letting go. 

Is this what you have been feeling?

Yes

Is there any place in your body where you feel that?

Probably in my stomach but also in my  heart and in my third eye.

So overall what would you say your experience has been?

It heals and clears your energy field and brings you into a deeper sense of harmony inside yourself and a sense of unity and friendship.

Anna on the beach .

Anna has had a big interaction with dolphins

……………………………..

Kirstin on the beach

Can you tell me what happened on the beach with the dolphin?

She came close to us. It seemed she was curious and wanted to look at me.

What did that feel like for you?

It felt great just to have this interaction

How do you feel now?

photo by Michael