Dolphin Camp: Making splashes in Central America

By Ilona Biro

Published in The Globe and Mail,

KID'S SUMMER CAMP IN TROPICAL PARADISE

Roatan, HONDURAS -- Ever dreamed about swimming with dolphins? At Anthony's Key Resort, just off the coast of northern Honduras, they do it every day. And every summer, from May until August, families looking for a unique summer holiday come here to take part in one of the best programs in marine science available in the Caribbean.

The resort's Dolphin Discovery Camp introduces kids from eight to 14 years of age to all aspects of marine life, while their parents get time to snorkel, dive or otherwise relax on their own.

Because the resort’s owners have created a marine research institute onsite, instructors can mix educational activities, like a talk on the hawksbill turtle, with fun and games - feeding the resident dolphins, making sand paintings, or playing beach volleyball. The Institute for Marine Sciences, as the facility is called, is fully equipped with wet and dry labs, classrooms, a library and museum and is just a five minute walk from the main dining room.

A typical day at the camp begins with snorkelling lessons and a video on local marine life. After lunch with mom and dad, the kids return to the institute to learn about dolphin evolution, followed by a dolphin training demonstration. Another day might begin with horseback riding along the beach, or a trip to the Carambola Botanical Gardens, followed by a beach picnic and a snorkelling scavenger hunt.

If the lively chatter of excited kids we experienced every day at lunch is any indication, the camp (now in its third year) is a big hit. But it’s not just kids who get to have fun at Anthony’s Key.

Sheltered under a canopy of mango, guava, and almond trees, and surrounded by shallow coral gardens and white sand beaches, the resort was originally built as an adult-oriented scuba diving resort over 25 years ago. And for many years divers kept their secret paradise to themselves - and left the kids at home. But in the last few years, Roatan’s fame has spread beyond the diving fraternity, and the island has experienced an unprecedented growth spurt. So when Julio and Cheryl Galinda bought the resort ten years ago, they recognized the need for a more sustainable operation to help ensure the survival of the coral reef that surrounds the island.

They began by converting the resort's casino/disco complex into the Institute for Marine Sciences and the Roatan Museum. Then they began to enforce an environmentally-benign diving policy prohibiting spear fishing and the collecting of corals or shells. Finally, in 1994 they adopted a group of superannuated dolphins from a bankrupt marine park in Florida - and the new Anthony's Key was born.

Today, the Galindas along with their fellow Bay Islanders are continuing to protect the fragile coral reef environment that has served them so well for so long. Because of those combined efforts, happy campers like Sarah, a 10-year old from Vancouver, should be able to enjoy the rich underwater life of the Caribbean for many years to come. And Sarah's opinion of the kid's camp? "The dolphins are the best thing. I wish we could spend more time with them."

Eldon Bolton, the institute's director, nods his head in recognition. "The kids would probably be happy just hanging around the dolphins for the entire camp," he said, "but we have to balance that with the research that goes on here."

The institute’s staff conducts airborne population surveys and other research on an ongoing basis, and plays host to visiting marine biologists and scientific groups. While I was here, the staff was taking care of a young sperm whale that had gotten separated from her pod and beached on the Honduran coast. Researchers were hoping to reintroduce her into the pod when it was due to pass again on its annual migration northward.

But as the Institute’s research intensifies, costs go up, and an important part of the equation is revenue derived from its daily dolphin show, which draws tourists from all over the island. Half of the institute's 21 bottlenose dolphins are trained marine park dolphins who were given sanctuary at Anthony's Key when their original home, Fort Lauderdale's Ocean World, went bankrupt in 1994.

The other group of dolphins are wild, and take part in the daily dolphin scuba dives. After spending a few hours on the dock watching them at play, I felt ready to meet them on their own turf. Soon I was 30 feet underwater, listening to my own bubbles while I waited for the dolphin’s arrival. Suddenly I heard the high pitched echoes of a couple of dolphins heading our way. Within a minute, two female dolphins were thrilling us with their graceful dive-bombing. As mischievous as monkeys, they'd pretend not to see us and then head straight at us at top speed, veering off only at the last second. Or they'd pass within inches of us, allowing us to run our hands down their smooth sides. We played with them as long as our oxygen supply would allow and back on the diveboat, promised ourselves we’d do the dolphin-snorkel the next day. That night over a frangipani cocktail, we watched ourselves frolicking with the dolphins on a giant video screen suspended above the bar. Sales of the videos (which are irresistible) go towards maintaining the institute and the dolphins.

I spent my last day at Anthony's Key chatting with Bolton about life among the dolphins. He's seen everything when it comes to people's attraction to the fascinating creatures - from New Agers who dangle crystals over them to the folks who want to meditate alongside them.

But the dolphin story to top them all was related by head trainer and self-confessed dolphin nut George Kieffer.

"A young couple was doing the dolphin dive," Kieffer began, "and the dolphins refused to leave the woman alone. They just kept surrounding her and ignored the rest of us. Nothing we did distracted them. Then it dawned on us that this was the identical behaviour of a dolphin pod protecting one of their pregnant cows. When we surfaced, we asked the woman if she was pregnant. She said she had no idea but that she'd check as soon as she got home. Well we got a phone call a few days later and sure enough, she was carrying a child."

After hearing that story, the New Age crystal danglers didn't seem that far out after all. \IF YOU GO: Because of its rich underwater treasures, Roatan (and the two other Bay Islands, Guanaja and Utila), had mainly been a scuba divers’ paradise. But that is about to change, as news of the beautiful island group reaches beyond the diving fraternity. Go soon.

There are direct flights from Miami, Houston and New Orleans to Roatan on TACA Airlines. Otherwise, American Airlines flies from Miami to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where you can get a short connecting flight to Roatan.

Anthony's Key Resort has dive and non-dive packages from 675 US dollars per week, which include all meals and accomodation in private louvered wooden cabins with electricity, hot water, and ceiling fans. Packages include water sports, (canoes, kayaks), horseback riding, 3 scuba dives daily and two night dives. Full scuba instruction is available as well. Dolphin dives and dolphin snorkelling sessions are available daily for an additional fee.

The 1996 Dolphin Discovery Camp for 8 to 14 year-olds, costs 500 US dollars per first child, 450 dollars for the second child, and 350 dollars for the third child per week, staying in a room with an adult. That includes accomodation, all meals, camp activities and materials. Limited to 8-14 kids per week, the camp runs from Sunday to Friday all summer; Saturday arrival is necessary to participate in camp. Booking is through Bahia Tours in Miami, 1-800-227-3483.

Remember to take insect repellent with you - Avon's Skin-So-Soft bath oil is excellent for use against the ubiquitous sand flies.

Renting a car to explore the island is 48 dollars US per day through Toyota or Sandy Bay Car Rentals. Local buses run frequently and are the best way to get a feel for island life.