Every year thousands of locals and visitors alike share personal encounters with the graceful creatures at Dolphin Quest. These experiences evoke so much emotion that it touches not only their hearts, but also their minds. As marine mammal veterinarians, Dolphin Quest founders, Dr. Jay Sweeney and Dr. Rae Stone felt their experiences and understanding of dolphins and marine life should be shared to foster a bond with the marvels of the ocean.

Dolphin Quest Bermuda General Manager, Christine Mihelcic says the men envisioned a special place where people and dolphins could share the wonder of a close personal connection and in 1988 their vision became a reality with the birth of Dolphin Quest.

“Today this global organisation is devoted to the public education and conservation of marine wildlife and has locations from the Pacific paradise Islands of Hawaii and French Polynesia to Bermuda,” she explains.

Following the success of their operation in Hawaii, Dolphin Quest opened its doors in Bermuda in 1996 at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel. This beautiful three-acre semi-protected cove on the south shore developed innovative programmes, not only in the protected cove, but also in the deep water areas where guests could paddle surfboards and ride in the Dolphin Quest boat as dolphins cruised beside them.

Over the next three years Dolphin Quest received world acclaim for its creative approach to education, commitment to ocean wildlife research, exemplary animal health care, and successful breeding programs, while their innovative encounter programs continue to promote a spirit of connection to the marvels of the oceans.

Dolphin Quest’s story evolved when three years later, in October 1999, the approach of Hurricane Gert forced staff and dolphins to the safety of the most south-western end of the Island - Dockyard.

Ms Mihelcic recalls the impressive co-ordinated effort by the team of dedicated and hard working crew who battled the winds and surging water to move the animals and operations to the large protected pool within the Bermuda Maritime Museum.

Unfortunately the original dolphin habitat at the Fairmont Southampton was destroyed in this hurricane. However, Ms Mihelcic adds that the new safe haven enabled them to not only reach visitors to the Island, but also spread their conservation and education message to the local community.

Through Dolphin Quest encounters, children, adults, families and groups have the rare opportunity to meet the dynamic family of eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins - either in or out of the water. As animal advocates, Dolphin Quest ensures that each interaction is enriching and fun not only for the humans, but also for the dolphins by creating moments of mutual discovery for all to enjoy.

During these close-up encounters Dolphin Quest’s expert trainers demonstrate dolphin behaviour and show the public how dolphins interpret hand signals and eye contact, as well as how they utilise echolocation.

“In this way trainers share a motivating conservation message encouraging guests to be proactive about protecting and preserving our ocean treasures,” she says.

“It’s all part of Dolphin Quest’s mission to share its love for dolphins and knowledge about marine life through fun, innovative experiences and instil a passion to learn more.”

And in learning more, Dolphin Quest offer the most innovative educational programmes which include unique field trip opportunities relating directly to science education standards set by the Ministry of Education.

Education Supervisor, Robyn Larkin elaborates that the dolphin education adventures, of which there are about 10 different programmes, cater to pupils from P1 to S4. Mrs. Larkin is very passionate about the “Making Choices for Our Island” programme which caters to P4 students: “Pupils get to visit our mock ‘grocery store’ where they get to choose various things and we then show them how their decisions can have either a good or bad impact on our environment.” She says they try and encourage pupils to make “green choices” and learn more about recycling in this way. As for the older students, she adds the “unconventional” physics programme for M1 to S4 students uses the dolphins as teaching tools.

“Watching an ultrasound take place on one of our dolphins helps the students realise that physics is more than what is found in their textbooks,” she explains.

Students also have the opportunity to touch the dolphins, but Mrs. Larkin feels this not the sole focus of the educational programme: “Showing them all the other neat stuff of the ocean and how the dolphins tie in to that. You can’t just look at one species, it’s an ecosystem and everything is related and interacts with each other.” As for the future, there are also plans afoot for expansion which will include an underwater fens line, or buffer, which will create an additional enrichment environment for the animals, not only at night, but also during the daytime.

Ms Mihelcic invites the public to celebrate the organisation’s ten-year anniversay with them on November 18.