There’s a huge grin on her face, but she wants to be a vet, so this must be great for her. Me? You all know how I like to be in control, and these dolphins look like they might like to be in charge too.
So the attendant says, “Hurry, girls! You don’t want to miss a moment of this program.” We head toward the beach, strip to our swimsuits, rub on the suntan lotion, and put on the life jackets.
I take a deep breath as Olivia and I hold hands and we all enter the water, led by three attendants. There is one in a kayak rowing out to a stand in the water. That’s where we’re headed. My knees are shaking.
We are in an enclosed part of the beach, surrounded by rocks and mesh, which is the dolphins’ home. The water is rippling from a light breeze, and believe me, you need that breeze because the sun is now right over our heads. There are three seagulls sitting on the rocks, checking out the whole scene and probably waiting for a tidbit or two.
Olivia and I wade out toward the stand where there are two trainers waiting for us. Soon it gets too deep for walking, so we start swimming out to where the dolphins, Bruno and Miguel, are already playing with one of the trainers. Oh, yeah, here’s what I’m thinking: There better not be any sharks in here!
The trainer waves his hands and the dolphins are off, like circus performers, jumping out of the water in perfect unison, two or three times. Before we’re all finished exclaiming and clapping, Bruno and Miguel are back at the stand, collecting their reward. The trainer waves his hands again, and this time they walk backward on the water. You almost can’t believe they can do such a thing.
“Cut!” the director shouts again. Oops! Our heroine (me, the Kgirl!) is afraid to get close to the dolphins. These creatures are very frisky, and you can’t tell from one moment to the next where they might be!
“It’s okay.” One of the trainers notices me slinking behind Olivia, who is very brave and can’t wait to touch these little darlings. “They are quite friendly, and we are in total control.” Olivia takes my hand to reassure me as I tread water.
The rest is like a total dream sequence. I touch the dolphins (rubbery feeling); I hold on to their fins and ride with them a short distance (Eeeek!); I allow myself to be kissed (my first kiss and it’s by a dolphin—ha-ha); AND then I, Katani Ida Summers, dance with the dolphins.
At the trainer’s instructions, we hold our hands in the air and turn around in the water as if we are dancing while he beats on a pan and the dolphins dance around with us, making their little high-pitched squeak sounds. Fear Factor is over. I’m having an incredible time! All of a sudden the trainer starts to sing, and those dolphins sing alongwith him, just like they’re in a band (a squeaky/screamy kind of band) or something. Then comes the big finale.
I watch as one of the trainers takes one of the group apart, holds him steady, and—oh, my gosh! The man is flying out of the water, pushed by the dolphins, and then, they just let him down near the water’s edge. I want to clap and shake all at the same time.
Olivia goes next. She grins like a madwoman as she goes flying through the water. Then it’s my turn. “Don’t be afraid. Put your feet behind you. Lift your hands in the air,” the trainer tells me, and whoosh! Two snouts have connected with the bottom of my feet (it tickles!), and the dolphins are pushing me through the water, my body and hands in the air. So this is what it feels like to be Superwoman and fly! “Cut and print”—this scene is in my memory forever.
So what do you think, BSG? Ready for a trip to Jamaica? Oops, I gotta go now—Selvin and Olivia are waiting. But have I got pictures!
Just as I was finishing up my e-mail, Olivia came into the office with Selvin’s friend and handed me a cold pineapplepunch, which I slurped down quickly. “I have to get Selvin to bring me back here
So the attendant says, “Hurry, girls! You don’t want to miss a moment of this program.” We head toward the beach, strip to our swimsuits, rub on the suntan lotion, and put on the life jackets.
I take a deep breath as Olivia and I hold hands and we all enter the water, led by three attendants. There is one in a kayak rowing out to a stand in the water. That’s where we’re headed. My knees are shaking.
We are in an enclosed part of the beach, surrounded by rocks and mesh, which is the dolphins’ home. The water is rippling from a light breeze, and believe me, you need that breeze because the sun is now right over our heads. There are three seagulls sitting on the rocks, checking out the whole scene and probably waiting for a tidbit or two.
Olivia and I wade out toward the stand where there are two trainers waiting for us. Soon it gets too deep for walking, so we start swimming out to where the dolphins, Bruno and Miguel, are already playing with one of the trainers. Oh, yeah, here’s what I’m thinking: There better not be any sharks in here!
The trainer waves his hands and the dolphins are off, like circus performers, jumping out of the water in perfect unison, two or three times. Before we’re all finished exclaiming and clapping, Bruno and Miguel are back at the stand, collecting their reward. The trainer waves his hands again, and this time they walk backward on the water. You almost can’t believe they can do such a thing.
“Cut!” the director shouts again. Oops! Our heroine (me, the Kgirl!) is afraid to get close to the dolphins. These creatures are very frisky, and you can’t tell from one moment to the next where they might be!
“It’s okay.” One of the trainers notices me slinking behind Olivia, who is very brave and can’t wait to touch these little darlings. “They are quite friendly, and we are in total control.” Olivia takes my hand to reassure me as I tread water.
The rest is like a total dream sequence. I touch the dolphins (rubbery feeling); I hold on to their fins and ride with them a short distance (Eeeek!); I allow myself to be kissed (my first kiss and it’s by a dolphin—ha-ha); AND then I, Katani Ida Summers, dance with the dolphins.
At the trainer’s instructions, we hold our hands in the air and turn around in the water as if we are dancing while he beats on a pan and the dolphins dance around with us, making their little high-pitched squeak sounds. Fear Factor is over. I’m having an incredible time! All of a sudden the trainer starts to sing, and those dolphins sing alongwith him, just like they’re in a band (a squeaky/screamy kind of band) or something. Then comes the big finale.
I watch as one of the trainers takes one of the group apart, holds him steady, and—oh, my gosh! The man is flying out of the water, pushed by the dolphins, and then, they just let him down near the water’s edge. I want to clap and shake all at the same time.
Olivia goes next. She grins like a madwoman as she goes flying through the water. Then it’s my turn. “Don’t be afraid. Put your feet behind you. Lift your hands in the air,” the trainer tells me, and whoosh! Two snouts have connected with the bottom of my feet (it tickles!), and the dolphins are pushing me through the water, my body and hands in the air. So this is what it feels like to be Superwoman and fly! “Cut and print”—this scene is in my memory forever.
So what do you think, BSG? Ready for a trip to Jamaica? Oops, I gotta go now—Selvin and Olivia are waiting. But have I got pictures!
Just as I was finishing up my e-mail, Olivia came into the office with Selvin’s friend and handed me a cold pineapplepunch, which I slurped down quickly. “I have to get Selvin to bring me back here
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