During my week away to the Algarve Portugal, I decided to explore the tourist attractions in the local area. One of the popular places to visit is the Zoomarine. A waterpark, theme park and aquarium that aims to “educate, entertain, preserve, knowledge, development” through the promotion of knowledge, preservation, and environmental education in a fun and passionate way. This ethos permeates throughout the park and the staff, which made my visit educational, enjoyable and memorable. I also booked the ‘Dolphin Emotions’ experience to swim with and learn about the bottlenose dolphin.
Review of the ‘Dolphin Emotion’ experience
I was very apprehensive about swimming with the dolphins as it wasn’t something I’d done before but the staff were very helpful and reassuring throughout the day from checking in for the experience to getting ready to embark into the water. When I arrived at the Zoomarine after taking a Bolt taxi from my hotel, I was shocked by the queue to enter the park before opening time. Lines of people swarming visitors eagerly awaiting a day of fun and joy. Thankfully I didn’t have to queue up in that overwhelming line and needed to go to the Zoomarine dolphin experience desk to check in for my experience that was scheduled in the afternoon. Once checked in, I entered the park and made good timing to see the dolphin show. I’d never seen a dolphin show before and was intrigued at what this would entail. I was still very nervous about the dolphin experience and thought the show would lessen my nerves. And I was right!
Dolphin Presentation
The dolphin presentation started with an actor dressed as a pirate dancing and entertaining the audience while we waited for the star of the show. A member of staff from the Zoomarine, walked on stage and educated and informed the audience on conservation and preservation mission of the marine. A lasting message, to find the beauty in nature we must work to protect. A video of one of their dolphins giving birth appeared on screen and in an unexpected appearance a beautiful dolphin and its calf entered the water. This was such a special and extraordinary moment to see these two dolphins swimming round and enjoying themselves. Then the excitement started to build as several majestic creatures entered the water (see video). The main take-away from the show was how much fun and enjoyment the dolphins had. I am always wary of visiting zoos or aquariums because of the concerns and controversy surrounding these establishments, however I was completely surprised by how clean every part of the park and enclosures were, how happy and well looked after the dolphins were and how much the staff are committed to the park’s mission and values of education, conservation and protection. This is a place that doesn’t have the animals for amusement but to educate, preserve and conserve. The dolphins were energetic and full of fun as they bounced rubber balls into the crowd with their tails, dived and demanded more fish from the handlers. Seeing the dolphins and the handlers has so much fun was contagious and I was laughing, smiling and in awe of these beautiful creatures. This was an incredible experience that I will remember for a long time.
Dolphin Emotions Experience
My dolphin experience time slot was in the afternoon, so after exploring the park, visiting the sea lions, munching down my chicken nuggets and chips from the restaurant I was raring to go. Albeit a little nervous but I was ready to face my fears. I booked into a group session and waited to be greeted by the host. The experience took place in a quiet and private location away from the main site of the parl. This made the experience even more exciting as it was like I was going ‘behind-the-scenes’. Once the group was led into the changing room area, we were given an instructions on how we should dress and safety tips for when we enter the water. Every member had to wear a life jacket and a wetsuit was optional – I always complain that I’m too warm so I opted not to have the wet suit, plus it was very very hot in Portugal at around 30 degrees celsius and the thought of trying to wrestle into a wet suit was not ideal. The water temperature was about 20 degrees celsius, which for many people was a tad chilly but I thought it was comfortable. We were each given a locker to store our bags and clothes, as well as a souvenir of a Zoomarine re-usable bag and towel. Safety instructions included, no jewellery, no hair ties, all inclusive hotel wrist bands were removed and we had to wear shoes walking to the pool. By this point, I was very excited but also nervous, but the lovely host Rita was fun, reassuring and informative that I didn’t feel like scared anymore.
As we took the walk from the changing room complex to the pool we were seated in a small and covered gazebo for instruction and informative presentation on the dolphin’s anatomy, the mission of Zoomarine and the types of activities we would engage with in the water with the dolphins. The biggest take away was not to touch the dolphin’s eyes or tail when approaching the dolphins and to listen to the educators at all time. The information was clear and easy to understand. I also appreciated our educator speaking in a variety of languages from English, Spanish and Portuguese throughout the experience – this was an inclusive aspect. The educators were clear that the dolphin’s safety and happiness is at the forefront at everything they do and that the visitor should respect these creatures.
Next it was into the water to embark on our incredible experience with the dolphins. The group was separated into several smaller groups of around six and off we went. The dolphins were even more beautiful up close and there were plenty of opportunities to stroke the dolphin and learn about their species. My first thought at stroking the dolphin’s skin was how soft and smooth it was and how gentle they are around humans. One dolphin in particular kept looking for fish at every possible moment which was endearing. The educators decide what activities to partake in with the dolphins and I was chosen to engage in the ‘waltz’ which involved treading water with one hand raised and spinning in circles as the dolphin span next to me in a dance. I could hear my mum and the educator singing a dance tune while I was doing this, which made the activity even more amusing. This was really fun and the dolphin kept spinning which I understand meant they were having fun too! Another activity I was able to engage in was my action moment. I rested my body on a float and the placed my feet and legs straight while two dolphins propelled me by my feet with their noses. I must admit this was the activity that I was most nervous about and wanted to do an easier less action-eque movement such as holding their fins. But I was told that this particular activity was the most fun and I have to agree! It was so much fun and I don’t even know why I was nervous – hindsight is a wonderful thing! All throughout the experience, the educators were exceptional and reassuring. Photograph opportunities were also available which made an incredible souvenir from the whole experience. I would definitely recommend the Dolphin Emotions experience as it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I know I will remember for a long long time. A big thank you to the Zoomarine, educators and in particular Rita for their amazing support, preservation of the dolphins and commitment to education and conservation.
Final thoughts
My experience visiting the Zoomarine was exceptional, the staff were friendly and helpful, the premise was clean and tidy, there were a variety of activities, roller coasters and things to explore. I would suggest booking a two day ticket and allowing extra time for experiences and activities as I ran out of time. I would have liked to explore the water park and water activities as well as the roller coasters and watch the variety of shows. It was very hot when I visited Portugal, which meant I needed to take plenty of breaks in the shade. I suggest wearing water resistant suncream in the water with the dolphins to avoid burning and catching sun stroke. The Dolphin Emotions was wonderful and the space these animals have is brilliant and are well looked after. I really enjoyed seeing the, swim about and having fun in the water. I would love to do the experience again and visit the park in the future. Oceans of fun is definitely a fair assumption.
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