With the Dolphins

We made it to the Dolphin Lagoon ten minutes before the show was scheduled to begin. The tickets cost $22.90/person, and includes admission to the Underwater World. The lagoon was quiet, although most of the front seats were already occupied. We walked over to the last few remaining front seats towards the left side of the shaded area, and got all settled in.

Bubbling with excitement, Roo could hardly wait to see the dolphins. Mommy, when will the dolphins come? This he asked every two seconds. In between, he fired question after question about dolphins, where they'll be swimming from, what they eat, etc, etc. Pretty soon, the loudspeaker blared with music. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the show will begin in five minutes!

The dolphins were introduced and the show host provided a narrative of information about them. The audience was also informed of ways they can help preserve the environment to help save the lives of the dolphins. Throughout the show, the dolphins performed and regaled the audience with their natural behaviours, i.e. singing, jumping out of the water, tail-flapping, showing how fast they can swim, etc. Although I've seen dolphin shows where the dolphins did more tricks, there was something about the Sentosa version that was charming and endearing in its way. Perhaps it had to do with the more natural environment where the dolphins were located, and also because of the way Sentosa made me more aware of what I can do to lengthen and preserve the lives of these mammals.

Right from the start, Roo kept asking if he could ride them dolphins. He wanted so badly to get near them. So when the host announced that you can get a chance to touch the dolphins for $15/two people, my little boy lost no time in coaxing me to go buy him that opportunity. We joined the crowd at one side of the lagoon, and waited for our turn to touch Splash, the pink dolphin.

There were a few rules to abide by: Disinfect your hands with the bacterial sanitizer. Don't hang your shades or hat, wear them. Don't get too close to the dolphin. Pat or touch only the designated part of the dolphin, don't touch the head.

It was too short a visit with Splash, but I think Roo and I will always remember that moment! Splash stayed very still as we patted his back, and he bopped his head in and out of the water the whole time. It was an exhilarating experience to get that close to an animal that I've always been fascinated with! That was a very special time for me and with my little boy!