Dolphin Research Center



They are such beautiful animals!



What kid has not gone through their animal phase where they want to be a veternarian? a horse trainer? a zoo keeper? a dolphin trainer?!  Today was the day to realize those childhood dreams at the Dolphin Research Center.  This place is AMAZING, and an absolute must-see if you travel down to the Keys.  It's about 10 miles north near Grassy Key, and Polly was so kind to take us in her car and get us in for free under her membership.  I think I was grinning for two hours straight.  I know Cowboy Dean was.  The place is ran by a few paid personnel, but the rest are college interns and a huge staff of volunteers.  The history dates back to the 1950's and the popular show Flipper that aired on TV.  It became a non-profit research center in the 1980's.  Some of Flipper's descendents live at DRC. For those interested in learning more, go explore their website at http://www.dolphins.org/.  Dean has been wondering what he might do with his life once he retires from teaching and coaching swimming this next year...I think he found his answer...he was that taken in by the whole experience!  Rather than "shows" like you would see at Sea World, you get to wander from 'pond to pond' to watch the researchers exercise the dolphins, run them through their behaviors (tricks), and see them play at will.  You can also opt to do a variety of activities up close and personal from meeting a dolphin, to swimming with one, to being a research assistant and trainer for a day!  Two little girls got to do the full day experience, and it was precious watching their faces light up each time they got to "help" with the hand signals and feeding of the dolphins.  You can easily spend a day here, it is that cool.  Lots of pictures to share....I took over 70; I'll try to sort through the best ones!

Look who's smiling!

Here they're showing off their tails...each dolphin's tail is unique, much
like a person's thumbprint. It's their signature.

Molly was waving her flipper at us...she is 60 years old.  Dolphins in the wild
will live less than half of that.  Dean was beginning a love affair with Molly!



I caught Dean making eyes at Molly :)  It was a good
thing to, as it was Molly that he got to meet and greet
up close in the dolphin encounter that he purchased. 



The dolphins were pretending to swim like sharks... so cute! A shark's
tail moves side to side, where as a dolphin's tail moves up and down.

Molly is showing us her belly button!




And so their love affair begins, with a touch and a kiss...




And then they shared their first dance...





Donnie and Simon play this game at home; "Show me your teeth!"


Have you ever been kissed by a dolphin?  Be careful, she may blow you raspberries!  And if she's feeling especially ornery, she likes to play "Pull my finger (flipper)"  It was hysterical!  That one really cracked the Cap'n up!  After being treated to just a small sampling of all the DRC has to offer, we headed to the gift shop.  Cowboy Dean talked with a lady that worked in the gift shop that lives in Wyoming for six months and down in Marathon working at the DRC for six months.  You should have seen Dean's face light up at that idea.  This place has everything he loves...particularly the opportunity to get in the water with dolphins every day :)  He picked up some literature on possibly bringing a group of kids from his swim team down for a spring break trip, and doing some educational programs with the kids at DRC.  Something worth exploring, anyhow!  I bought a dolphin charm for my chain- I love it! (thanks, Mom, I used the hideaway money you gave me when I was home :) 



Polly was wearing the dolphin earrings to match my necklace :)



It was a great day; can't wait to go back again with Elliebug!



After our visit at the DRC, we all met up back at Cabana's here at Banana Bay
for their $3.99 cheeseburger in paradise with fries lunch special.  Rather than
going to the beach, we opted to spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool.
Cowboy Dean was in his element...he swam laps no less than four different
times!  We caught Mamaw and Paps frolicking in the pool, too :)



At about 5:00pm, we took off walking to Key Fisheries for dinner.
We passed a bait shop next to a sushi bar...yesterday's bait
 becomes today's sushi, or is it the other way around?!

Snow crab claws for dinner with a wasabi/mayo sauce- finger lickin' good!

TIme for the rum punch toast at sunset...led by the bartender, "We have tall
ships and small ships, ships here at the docks, and ships out at sea, but
the very best ships are the friend-ships we share, forevermore will they be."

Dean caught a beautiful sunset on his last night here.



Keys Fisheries is a working harbor.  I thought this was a
cool picture of a working boat; the guy hangs his
apron on the piling back at the dock.




Nice pic of the boys walking the docks along the crab cages.

Love this shot of the pelican just before he took flight.





The perfect end, to the perfect day, to the perfect vacation...
key lime pie from the Conch Cafe :)  Be safe going home, Dean!