Grande Rivière Noire, Mauritius
Dancing with Dolphins (the complete story including “Monde, The Movie” A Mongu Mermaid of the Baroste Plain’s Tail Tale).
The video starts with a still photo then goes into a video of a whale, it is not fluke, please be patient.
Dancing with Dolphins is not something a person like me, who lives on the Baroste Plain, in the landlocked country of Zambia, would ever imagine to do. Especially in such a wide expanse of a sea as great as the Indian Ocean. Yes, my toes had touched the sea once before, but I have never swum in anything more than a rivers shore, especially since I really do not know how to swim. What was on the edge of my imagination, was now touching at my toes over the boats edge. As the sun warmed my skin and the sea cooled my toes, I acknowledge that it is only the creator who is not amazed at my being in the middle of his creation, for he knows what he created each of us to be.
I wondered how deep and wide this expanse of water was, and what creatures might be encountered from the smallest of sea creatures and fish to the mighty whale. I am certain that many who have encountered the sea and its life, would wish to come again. As I debated, as I who can not swim, the risk of diving in and the risk of not.
We were now far from shore, we came upon whales. What a wonder it was, as it arched its back above the water for us to see. I have never seen a creature do the same in the sandy seas of my desert lands. The whale was on the move and we gave chase, but only seeing its back and not head or tail. Having been close to a whale that I never thought I would have even seen from a distance, let me to believe God, had a special plan for me this day.
With the whale beyond reach leaving at speed, we returned to our other mission, to party with the dolphins, watching dive and dance. There were so many they were easy to see, as they jumped and dove in rhythm with one another. The mood changed our lost opportunity to be with the whale, was now a new opportunity to swim with the dolphins. I watched as my boat mates, went in groups of two, with a guide, and swam with the dolphins, and even petting them on their way. Each with a face of excitement of a body of energy as they traded gear with the next duo to go.
The boat captain kept the boat on pace with the dolphins, he had done this before. He knew the paths of the sea, like we know the paths of the sand in my village.
The dolphins were close to the boat, almost close enough for me to reach out and touch, but not. Dolphins are my favourite of God’s creatures. But he had not blessed our fresh inland Baroste waters with them. My awareness was stories heard about them as I grew up and wondered about the moving waters of the sea and how they differ from the moving sands of my land.
It is a challenge for me to explain what was going through my mind, emotions, and feelings, as I saw them dance around us. All I could think of is how wonderful it must have been for Peter to walk hand in hand with Jesus upon the waters. He trusted Jesus.
My fear was great, but so was my desire, would I stay on board or would, this girl who knows not how to swim, take the hand of the guide and dance with the dolphins. With a masked loaned to me by a French student and a like jacket, I did dive.
My faith was rewarded, with sight, feeling and emotions which over whelmed me. Looking deep into the water below me, where many more dolphins that appeared on the sea. Moving at different levels, directions and speeds. Whilst I was able to swim near them on the surface, I was able to get close enough to touch them or pet them as the others did. But that did not keep them from touching my spirit and soul, and their excitement shared with me.
When I got out of the sea without end and back into the boat and removed my mask, form my first ocean, dolphin dive swim. My travel mate Sitali (as we Lozi named him) and Brent or Brendan Bishop to our world beyond, called me a hero for both my deed and faith.
I do agree with him, I am hero because almost everyone in the world desires to have the privilege to be close to dolphins and share their watery home with them, and I did just that, on faith and God rewarded me with a new sense of life and purpose.
