Mundo Mar, Dolphin Encounter

by Bryce

Today was an awesome day at Benidorm's Mundo Mar, but from mom's point of view, it was more like "I'm not swimming with the dolphins, the water will be to cold!". After a long ride to the amazing Mundo Mar, it looked like there were plenty of things to do there. The place looked amazing at the start. I looked inside the ticket building and bang! The words were flashing before my eyes: TRIP ADVISER CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE! I could not believe that I saw this. "Pasar" said the ticket lady. I thought to myself, "OH MY GOD, this place looks awesome".

Three seconds after we got there, a lady said "do you want a picture with a lemur?" I said, "Claro que si" even before I thought it. The lady brought me into a lemur cage packed with lemurs and screaming preschoolers. All of the sudden a lemur flew on my shoulder. Cold small hands gripped my shoulder as I laughed uncontrollably. I sat down as a women snapped my picture and told me to pick it up at the ticket office at the end of the day.

After a long time of getting pictures done with animals, making a friend or two, eating, and watching shows at the theaters, we finally headed to the place we really came here for: The delightful Dolphinarium. We were quickly greeted by a Spanish woman with a very good English vocabulary. She asked if we're going to swim with the Dolphins, and after our tickets were taken, we were on our way to Mundo Mar's Dolpinarium. First, we were taken to a changing station. I was quickly equipped with a shiny wetsuit. After waiting for the trainers to get the dolphins ready we hurried to get a chance to swim with them. Next, we were welcomed by a trainer named Pedro who was in the dolphin show with his group of dolphins, Frera and Jaunito. He explained all about the dolphins, but all I could hear was me gnawing at my rugged nails while my teeth chattered with nervousness and excitement. All the sudden we walked in a tank with two dolphins splashing happily in the water. Pedro introduced us to the two dolphins, Frera and Camino. Finally, he asked me to get in the water. Immediately a dolphin swam up to me and I was asked to get in a pose. The dolphin kissed me on the cheek as I laughed because of all the excitement pumping through my blood. After I got a picture holding Frera's fins and everybody else got their pictures we finally got to pet the dolphins. Camino whizzed by me as I extended my arms. Once I touched her everything went into slow motion. I pushed my left arm farther over her body. She felt like heated silk. Finally, I snapped back to my senses as Camino gained speed in the double dolphin whirlpool. Pedro whistled the dolphins back as he told us that we're going to play with the dolphins. First, he showed us how to make them sing by moving his fingers. After that two random people were used as volunteers for the log trick. Pedro whistled something to the dolphins as they swam away and in two swift moves jumped over the two people. I was asked to be the next volunteer for the log trick. I lay as still as a Medusa victim, or in other words, a log. In a moment two dolphins swiftly leapt over me and for a while all I remembered was saltwater stinging me from all angles and and two athletic dolphin bodies sailing over me. After that I learned how to make dolphins twirl. Once I got out of the pool I was given with a new Mundo Mar towel. After the encounter, I was so thrilled that I wanted to do everything again.