Thursday, December 20, 2007 (Ron)

Today is the day for Xel-Ha (Shell Ha). We bargained with Alfredo for two free passes and two two-tank scuba dives in return for attending the time-share presentation at Sandos. Xel-Ha is an all-inclusive park that has swimming, snorkeling, bicycle riding, and lots of other fun stuff - plus free food and drinks. For an additional charge you can swim with the dolphins.

Since we had to get up early and the park has all meals included with the price of admission, we skipped breakfast. We rode to Xel-Ha in a large van, the ride took about an hour and a half. The first thing we did when we got there was have breakfast. It was a buffet and actually pretty good. We ate too much so we walked around for a while to work it off. There were toucans and macaws that were very colorful, tropical plants and flowers, and plenty of nice paths for strolling around the park. The weather was clear and sunny, great for walking and looking. Pretty soon we had warmed up, so we went over to do some snorkeling. The park supplied the mask, fins, and snorkel. The visibility was fairly good, the water was comfortable, and there were lots of fish to see. We snorkeled around for quite a while, it was very enjoyable. After getting out of the water we walked around some more to get warmed up.

I saw the dolphins performing and stopped to take some pictures. There were twelve to fifteen people in the water with about six dolphins. The people loved it and the dolphins appeared to having fun as well. It was fascinating to watch the humans and dolphins interacting, and it looked so enjoyable that Pat and I decided to do it. We paid our money and got signed up for an hour in the water with the dolphins, starting at 1pm. We were kinda hungry, and knew we'd be a whole lot hungrier by 2pm, so we walked around a little and found a place to grab a quick bite.

Just before 1pm we returned to the dolphin palapa for some brief instructions. We had to take off all jewelry and then we were off to meet the dolphins. The dolphins had a large inlet from the sea. During the shows it was divided into smaller sections to accommodate two or three groups of people/dolphins. A sort of dock stretched from side to side in several places to create the separate areas and for the trainers to work from while we were in the water. Next to the dock, in the water, was a platform about three feet deep for us to stand on. First we were introduced to the dolphins and them to us. Our dolphins were two males named Kanab and Itzman. They were both sixteen years old and weighed between 300 and 400 lbs. The larger one was from the west coast of Mexico, the other from Cuba. There were six people in our group - we formed a sort-of circle and the dolphins swan around among us and we petted them. They seemed to enjoy it and I know we did! It's hard to describe, but we all felt a bond between human and dolphin. Then the trainers had the dolphins do a photo op with each of us. During the course of the hour pictures were taken of each of us petting a dolphins, rubbing his belly, getting 'kissed' on each cheek by the two dolphins, plus several 'action' shots. Between photos we would go out in the deeper water and perform tricks with the dolphins. We all would tread water in a line and splash the water and a dolphin would swim by and gently splash us back. Another time we were in a line and the trainer had us wave our fingers around like a musical conductor. The dolphin would swim up in front of us and 'sing'. There were several other interactive tricks that we performed for the dolphin's entertainment, but there were two that were special. In one, we got in a straight line like we had done before. The trainer had both dolphins swim up one side of the pool to the far end, then turn and swim straight towards us. We were facing the other way, our backs to the dolphins. When they got just a few feet away they would both leap out of the water at the same time and fly over our heads about twelve to fifteen feet high, then land ten feet in front of us without hardly making a splash. They did that several times then more photo ops. But the best performance, the one they charged a whole lot extra for (and worth every penny) was when the pair of dolphins propelled us thru the water and into the air. We would each individually get at the far end of the pool and the dolphins would swim up behind us and each one would put his nose under a foot, then swim, with us being pushed thru the water. We quickly straightened our legs so that we'd be standing up on the dolphins' noses. It was such a great experience - I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was.

When the hour was up we all reluctantly said good-by to our new friends and got out of the pool. Then, like lambs to slaughter, they took us back to the dolphin palapa to view the pictures - no obligation to buy. How could you not buy some?? There were several packages, starting at just over $100 for a few 8x10 prints and going up from there. There was no way we could narrow it down to just a few pictures, plus we wanted the DVD of the experience, so we ended up getting the big package - El Grande. It included seven 5x7 prints, all 92 pictures on a CD, and the DVD. That really blew our budget, but we both wanted the proof in case we woke up the next day and thought it was all a dream. It was an unforgettable experience, but it's good to have the pictures and DVD to jog our memories.

After our dolphin experience we walked around a little, got a bite to eat, couple of beers, and then walked back towards the exit in order to get on the bus by 5pm. After dropping off some of the other families at their resorts, we got back to Mayan Palace around 7pm and just had a little to eat in our suite, and hung out there until bed time. What an incredible day!