| Cozumel's new Atlantida Dolphin Center |
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| Wednesday, 04 August 2004 | |
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New to Cozumel: Atlantida Dolphin Center The doors opened to the public on August 9th for the Dolphins at Atlantida in Cozumel. I had the pleasure of experiencing their program before it was 'officially' open for business, and was impressed. These are not dolphin performers; they are not treated as trick animals. This company offers an interactive dolphin experience, using the animals to educate and offer personal contact with the clients.................
The new Atlantida complex is located on Melgar Avenue at the corner of Calle 11, just across the street from the Municipal building. The New building has a reception area, and store, but most of the complex is dedicated to the dolphins. The 14 male dolphins are housed in a 5,000 square meter pen and work 6 shows per day, 6 days a week.
The dolphins, known to be curious and friendly, came over to check out the group as we all waited for the program to begin. One even showed off by playing with a strand of seaweed for our praise. The animals work in pairs with a trainer, posing for pictures with each person in the group, and then guests swim out into the water for personal contact. The dolphins seem to know the routine and swim by everyone's outstretched hands for "petting". They seem genuinely interested and to enjoy their activities with the guests. The dolphins do a series of jumps upon the request of their trainer. As the guests look on, we can see how the dolphins move above and below the water. After about 30 minutes in the water, it is time to go. The photos show up immediately on the gift shop screens, where you can pick from your posed shots, or the group dolphin swim. It is a great time for those who want an up close and personal experience with the sea mammals, and a nice change of pace from the "trick" dolphins that many centers showcase. I would recommend the Atlantida Dolphin Center for family outings and dolphin enthusiasts. The center is now focusing on clientele from the cruise ships, but accepts walk-ins and will soon be working with day trippers from Playa Del Carmen, as well as guests from Cozumel Hotels. Check out their website at www.Atlantidacozumel.com Challis Moore is originally from Arkansas, USA and is now a long time resident of Cozumel.
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Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved. |
By: Challis Moore
The dolphins have been in their new home for approximately 2 months, and seem to enjoy their new surroundings. The dolphins are only training for 30 minutes at a time, so just before the program, they were able to swim freely in their tank as we watched.
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