Midwestern Resident Swims With The Fishes In Late May

It's not every day that you have the opportunity to swim with dolphins especially when it's on your “to do” list. Well, this little dream recently became a reality for me in the US Virgin Islands in St. Thomas.

One of my best friends got married in St. Thomas over the Memorial Day weekend. This wedding was supposed to take place last year, but obviously COVID put a pause on all destination weddings. Despite all the challenges, she finally got the wedding of her dreams, and I was so fortunate to be able to enjoy this special trip with her.

My visit to St. Thomas was short and sweet; only about three days total. Since this was a quick trip, I really only had time for one tourist activity. I was initially debating between scuba diving and snorkeling. Then I saw an option to swim with dolphins, and I just knew I had to take this chance.

Coral World Ocean Park helped me cross swimming with dolphins off my bucket list. A little background on this park: It's a rehabilitation center for aquatic and other wildlife animals in the US Virgin Islands. The Dolphin Sea Sanctuary itself welcomes dolphins to explore this large space while receiving care from on-site veterinarians. Although this venue doesn’t allow you to ride a dolphin while holding onto its fin, you're still in the water with them playing games, performing some training exercises, and giving them back rubs.

Here are some of the highlights and views from my dolphin experience at Coral World Ocean Park.

A big thanks to Coral World Ocean Park for such an amazing morning and a special encounter! This is one adventure I will truly never forget!