Family Getaways 2008 - (Page 50) The connection between Florida and dolphins was cemented in 1966 with the naming of the new American Football League team, the Miami Dolphins. In a contest, more than 600 proposed the name Dolphins; Mrs. Robert Swanson of West Miami won two lifetime passes to Dolphins games for her name and guess of the opening score. Joe Robbie’s quote is posted on the Dolphins website: “The dolphin is one of the fastest and smartest creatures of the sea,” Joe Robbie said in announcing the team name on October 8, 1965. “Dolphins can attack and kill a shark or a whale. Sailors say bad luck will come to anyone who harms one of them.” Far left, Bay Spirit tour boat at the Florida Aquarium, photo courtesy Florida Aquarium. Left, family with a dolphin at Discovery Cove. Photo courtesy SeaWorld Orlando. 8) MIAMI: Miami Seaquarium Here at the home of TV’s Flipper and erstwhile filming site for the show, you can make like Sandy and Bud and befriend a dolphin in either the Dolphin Encounter group experience or the Dolphin Odyssey one-on-one interaction. Both last two hours and are prefaced with a learning experience. Don’t miss the Flipper Dolphin Show at this 50-plus-year-old classic Florida attraction. TAMPA: The Florida Aquarium’s Wild Dolphin EcoTour Tampa Bay boasts more than 400 dolphin, and The Florida Aquarium takes you to where they and hundreds of birds live. Board a comfortable 49-foot catamaran for an hour-and-a-half narrated excursion. 13) 14) ORLANDO: SeaWorld Adventure Park It starts with engaging shows where you get all wet if you’re sitting in the Splash Zone. From there, experiences with dolphin grow more intimate by the minute. Visit the Dolphin Nursery to learn how mom and kid dolphin interact. Sign up for the Dolphin Spotlight, a walking tour experience they’ll be immediately texting their friends back home about. At SeaWorld’s new waterpark, Aquatica, two awesome, enclosed tube slides send you speeding through a lively lagoon filled with playful, black-and-white Commerson’s dolphin. ORLANDO: Discovery Cove Want dolphin all to yourself? For a more exclusive interface, reserve your day across the street from SeaWorld. At this private, all-inclusive day resort, a limited number of people are admitted per day to play on the beach and snorkel in the fish-filled waterways. Guests are divided into small groups to swim with the dolphin for 30 minutes after a 10-minute conservation-minded orientation. During the swim, participants get their picture taken kissing a dolphin and score a fin-tow. The resort also offers night adventures in the summer and trainer-for-a-day programs. ORLANDO: Florida Dolphin Tours You’re in Orlando, but you’re craving a quick dolphin getaway to the Keys. These are the people to see for a twoday dolphin side-trip that includes accommodations, dinners, a two-hour one-on-one dolphin program, an airboat ride through the Everglades and shopping in Miami. If you’d rather snorkel and see dolphin in the open, the tour operators can get you there. SPACE COAST: Kayak Tours Adventure, Kayak of Cocoa Beach, A Day Away Kayaking Tours and the Brevard Zoo all lead paddling excursions into the dolphin-full waters of the Space Coast’s Indian River and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The ever-curious dolphin often come so close you can touch them. 9) SOUTHEAST FLORIDA: Dolphin World If you’re in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach and are looking for an easy, no-fuss dolphin adventure, this tour company specializes in organizing dolphin excursions across Southeast Florida. Leave the driving and arrangements to Dolphin World. Your only worry: How to smile bigger than a dolphin in the photos that come as part of the deal. EVERGLADES CITY: Everglades Area Tours When it comes to getting close to wild dolphin, kayaking is the way to go. Everglades Area Tours makes quick work of getting you out into the raw nature of the Everglades by combining the use of horsepower and manpower. A mother boat transports participants to prime spots where they can paddle with the tides and currents back to point A. Along the way, a naturalist informs as birds, fish, manatees and dolphin put on a show. Trips can be customized for camping on deserted beaches, snorkeling or whatever your family pleases. FORT MYERS BEACH: GAEA Guides Estero Bay, the section of Intracoastal Waterway that separates Fort Myers Beach from the mainland, is known for its wild dolphin population. Chances are nearly 100 percent that a foray into the sheltered waters, part of the 100-mile Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail, will reward with a dolphin sighting. Connie Langmann, owner of GAEA Guides, takes kayakers – first-time or experienced – into these dolphin-filled estuary waters for an intimate paddle among the resident pod. 10) 15) 11) 16) 12) FORT PIERCE: Florida Dolphin Watch The East Coast’s Indian River is home to hundreds of dolphin that seek the shelter of the Intracoastal Waterway to feed and breed. This two-hour trip is limited to six people for a leisurely, educational experience entertained by dolphin 90 percent of the time. Longer customized tours are available and can include lunch on a deserted island. 17)
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