Cole's long-awaited Dolphin Quest/Spinnin' & Snorkelin' with Dolphins

Last time we were @ Waikoloa Village, Cole was 3 mos. shy of age requirement to have a dolphin encounter. He has been waiting ever since for his official chance & we booked it! Dane & Annie could've joined him but would've cost a mere $100 for whopping 10 min. with dolphins-no thanks! Cole's program entitled him to 1/2 hr. in the water but we didn't account for addit. hour that he'd be learning about 'em ...He became a quick expert about adaptations of marine life, mammals in particular & of course, dolphin's features. He even drew his own & grabbed the whistle for his instructor making him an instant favorite...














So that meant we camped out for quite a while as spectators-

We were too cheap to pay for their custom shots or $60 video, so just gotta take our word for it that he got to smooch one, feed it a fish,















give commands

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

& wrap his arms around one:)














How awesome is that?
So my dad decided the whole family should enjoy a similar experience & chartered a boat the very next am! The boys thought they were cool before they even went onboard but of course moreso after they bonded with the captain-



















We cruised to the bay that the dolphins liked @ that hour & just got to play with 'em! We had awesome guides who told us to glide into water quietly & become one with the ocean:) as opposed to the noisy boat beside us-ugh! Cole & Dane weren't so sure they wanted to participate, but I made 'em take a turn!















The dolphins were even swifter and more vocal than we realized; Chris thought his ears were ringing @ one point, but just the dolphins chatting amongst themselves! We saw moms with babies, romantic couples & literally hundreds cruising around the boat and across the horizon...














Luke looks sweet here but his choice to not take a nap the whole morning wasn't so cute:( No lulling to slumber by waves for him!
So needless to say, I didn't get to ride one as I envisioned but mostly 'cuz I hyperventilated with the dumb snorkeling gear on. I seriously had to act like I was in labor to get a consistent breathing pattern goin':) Of course, I started to get the hang of it right as the dolphins decided the party was over?! Chris was more of a natural-We climbed back on the boat for a tasty lunch before we called it a day!