They glide with unparalleled grace, leap effortlessly in silvery flashes and romp with carefree abandon in the oceans of the world. They are dolphins, among the few mammals on earth who have made the deep water their domain.
On a list of the 1,001 most interesting things to see and do before you leave Okinawa, no doubt the chance to make contact with one of the sea’s most intelligent creatures would be close to the top.
In cooperation with the Okinawa Marine Research Center (OMRC), the upscale Renaissance Okinawa Resort Hotel in Onna offers just such a unique opportunity to get close to dolphins in their natural habitat.
While the hotel provides the venue, a professional OMRC staff of thirty is responsible for the training and care of the animals, which now number twelve, three of which are spotted dolphins still being trained. All staff members have backgrounds in oceanic fields such as marine biology.
Stories of interactions between the dolphins in the wild and humans are many, and although it seems as if they have a natural affinity for people Senior Specialist Atsuko Miyashita states that teaching them requires a great deal of patience.
According to her, “It takes about a year and they are taught basically using Pavlovian methods.”
It appears to be a matter of finding the ‘language’ necessary to communicate, as the gentle dolphins are eager to please, as is apparent when the trainers relate to them.
Most of the creatures at the facility are bottlenose dolphins. But spotted dolphins are also among the residents and finding them in captivity is uncommon. Atsuko Koshida, the Okinawa area PR manager for the Renaissance, attributes their presence to the skill of the OMRC staff.
“It is rare to find the spotted dolphin away from the wild due its sensitive nature,” she says, “but the staff here has found the means to keep them alive and thriving.”
The dedicated diligence of the youthful staff sets the stage for the positive quality of the experience, which is open to guests as well as well as non-guests of the hotel.
A spectrum of programs is available varying in times of day, fees, and intensity of contact.
The “Hello Dolphin” program at 9:00 am at 4,000 yen includes a lecture and twenty minutes of play with the dolphins. This program takes place with the participant out of the water with the dolphins at the edge. Children are allowed but must be accompanied by an adult.
“Family Dolphin” takes place at 9:30 am, by reservation, and is intended for groups of not more than five people. This activity takes place in the water with touching and interactive playing allowed. Accompanied children are allowed and the cost per group is 30,000 yen. The program lasts for about forty minutes.
“Into the Blue” is a sixty-minute encounter where you can swim, touch, and play games with these wonderful dolphins and snorkel in the hotel lagoon. Touching the animals is not allowed while snorkeling and there is a height requirement of at least 4 feet (130 centimeters) for children. Cost per person is 10,000 yen. It begins at 10:00 am.
The “Dolphin Encounter” segment is for all ages and occurs in shallow water beginning at 11:00 am. Touching and playing with the dolphins for forty minutes is featured. Children’s fee up to 12 years of age is 6,000 yen, above that is 8,000 yen.
Starting at noon, another waterside activity is the “Dolphin School and Fish Class”, a thirty-minute program for parents and children. It consists of a lecture on the ocean creatures of Okinawa and play with the dolphins, although no touching is allowed. Children under the age of three are free, ages four and above are 1,500 yen.
Programs open to non-Japanese participants end at 4:00 pm with the “Dolphin Jump”, the only one of the activities that allows a still and video cameras. It is for viewing only as the dolphins glint out of the sea in dramatic flight. The cost is 1,000 yen for ages four and older, free to children three and under, although children must be accompanied by adults.
Reservations for any of the programs must be made in person and all activities depend on tide and weather conditions, as well as the dolphins’ willingness to participate. In-water activities require you to bring your own swimwear. Children under six years old must always be accompanied by an adult
The Renaissance Okinawa Resort Hotel is easy to spot on the beach off of Highway 58 about ten kilometers north of Kadena AFB.
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