By Carrie Pack
A close friend of mine is planning her wedding right now, and she’s getting married at
Marineland Dolphin and Conservation Center. It’s part of their
Dream Dolphin Weddings program. It’s a really great opportunity if you are getting married and want to share it with the ocean’s smartest resident.
But it got me thinking; I haven’t been back to Marineland in years. I think it’s time to plan a trip. After browsing through online pictures of some of the Marineland dolphins, I am reminded of how much I love to watch these water-bound mammals interact with humans.
I mentioned Marineland’s Facebook page in my last post, and after I saw that comment about the Right Whales, I also noticed all the comments people were leaving on the “wall.” It’s filled with photos and memories from people who have experienced Marineland over the years.
One man posted photos from when he was an employee at Marineland back in the 1980s. He says he made minimum wage — around $5 — at the time, but he didn’t mind because he was getting paid to play with the dolphins.
Others have made comments about how a certain dolphin encounter made their day. One woman writes how it made her 40th birthday a day she will never forget.
One of the things I love about businesses that use social networking is it allows us to see the stories of the everyday people who frequent those businesses. It’s one thing to go to the official Marineland
Web site — you’ll get the official line and all the flashy marketing — but it’s another thing entirely to read when a woman writes about how cool it was when Tocoi the dolphin splashed her face. Even the smiles on people’s faces are more genuine.
Consider me sold. I’m ready to take a trip back to Marineland. Who’s with me? They’re hosting Family Fun Day, Feb. 28, with free admission all day and family-friendly activities from 1 to 4 p.m.