CALYPS³O 2008 Journal
Indiana School for the Deaf
Indian Creek High School

Day 8, Monday, June 10, 2008


Caroline (ICHS)

Dolphin day! We went down to Dolphins Plus and got to do tricks with their dolphins. We also saw one of their sea lions, Sugar. The two dolphins that my group interacted with were Samantha and Sarah. They did quite a few tricks with us. For example, we held up a pole and a hula hoop, and they jumped through them really close to our heads. They were always very careful around us, but you could sense how strong they were. They also pushed us through the water by our feet. We rode back to the dock by holding on to their dorsal fins and letting them pull us. It was really fun to kiss the dolphins and to see other people kissing the dolphins. Very interesting faces. Before the swim, we were briefed on dolphins and learned quite a bit about them. For example, I learned that dolphins are always conscious. They can't fall asleep like we do, or they will drown. Instead, they turn off one half of their brain and function with that. It remains like this for two to three minutes, then they switch. Doing this, the dolphins can get several hours of sleep a night. Later, we came back to Dolphins Plus and the ISD students got to interact with the deaf dolphin, Castaway. This was a really significant moment because the students were the first of the public to interact with Castaway. All she knew was her trainers before this. It was really a fun experience and something I'll always remember. Later that day, we went on a several-hour long journey to the southernmost point of the continental United States, Key West. It was really interesting to know that we were only ninety miles from Cuba. We passed Ernest Hemingway's home and ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant. This area was alive with stores and shoppers, who mostly came out at night. I saw more small, personally owned stores here and on the way here than I had ever seen. It was really fascinating to see all of the local things, even if quite a bit of it was oriented towards the tourist trade. So many people were walking down the street at one time, not necessarily speaking English- it was almost like another country or another world. All in all, it was a long, but rewarding day.

 

Amanda Phillips (ISD)

This morning, we all got ready to see the dolphins. We went to Dolphins Plus, in Key Largo. There were 12 dolphins and 2 sea lions. We couldn't swim with or pet the sea lions, as we signed up for swimming with dolphins. We split into 2 groups, ISD and ICHS, so that Carrie could interpret for the ISD students. We met 2 dolphins, Elvis and Nica. The first students to swim with the dolphins were Janna, Colin, and Casey. The second group was me, Jose, and Michael. We played with both dolphins, did tricks, and so much more. After swimming with those dolphins, the dolphin trainer asked us to come back again in the afternoon to meet Castaway, the deaf dolphin and be the first outside people to swim with her. We felt really honored as we're deaf like her, so we understand how she feels. She is always alone and partially blind. Her trainers said they thought she had had a stroke which caused her to be deaf and partially blind. She is 30 years old and the largest dolphin at Dolphins Plus. They only offered to allow ISD students to meet her and swim with her. Janna and Colin went first, me and Jose went second, then Casey and Michael went last. We were really touched as she had alot of scratches on her back. She likes to scratch her back on the wall and have people rub her back. We learned alot about her and had the chance to pet, hug, kiss, and rub her belly. The dolphin trainers talk to her differently than with the other dolphins. She is deaf like us, but her deafness and partial blindness is different because it makes it difficult for her to find food. She cannot use echo location to find food and cannot communicate with other dolphins. After our time in the water with Castaway, we all went to Key West, and touched the southern most point of the USA, which is only 90 miles from Cuba. We went shopping, ate dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant. It was a really good restaurant. :) After that, we drove all the way back to Key Largo, which took 2 hours. It was late when we got back to hotel, so we went to bed immediately upon arriving at our hotel suites. :)

Smiles all around .....

     

Amanda and Beth Ann

     

Caroline and Colin

Janna



Jose

Kyle



Casey



Michael



Tom



Samantha

Stephanie