Days 5 & 6: Sea Life Park & Birthday Celebrations

On Sunday Derrick and I headed over to Sea Life Park, where Janine is currently an intern working with the marine life. As a birthday present Janine and Derrick had arranged for me to participate in a Dolphin Encounter, where I got to actually get in the pool and interact with a dolphin! Our star was none other than Kawili Kai, the daughter of the only wholphin known in captivity, Kekaimalu. No, that is not a typo, I did indeed intend to type the word "wholphin", a term that was invented 19 years ago when a six foot dolphin and a 14 foot killer whale produced offspring, a match that was thought to be impossible.  Even more amazingly, Kekaimalu produced offspring of her own (cross-breeds are often sterile). Her calf, Kawili Kai, was the dolphin in our pool. As part of the program I got to give Kawali Kai a command to wave, receive a kiss from her, and ride on her belly, the latter of which I was nervous about but really enjoyed!

FYI: False killer whales are actually members of the dolphin family and unrelated to killer whales. Males can reach 22 feet in length and weigh as much as two tons, while females are smaller, reaching 16 meters in length. In the wild false killer whales often associate with other species of dolphins, particularly bottlenose dolphins. They are found most often in warm temperate and tropical waters around the world. Wholphins are heavier, darker in color, have fewer teeth, and different fin placement than dolphins.

What was arguably even more special than the actual dolphin encounter was the fact that Janine was in the pool with us the entire time helping to run the program, giving commands, and doling out fish to well-behaved participants (namely Kawali Kai). It was so special for me to see Janine at work doing something she loves and is good at! She seemed really at home in the water and with the dolphins. I hope to go to Sea Life Park another day while I am here to observe her at her new internship at the Cove.

New Personal Mantra for my 25th year. Found on the bottom of dessert carton.

For my birthday on Monday, Mom and Dad surprised me with the promise of an island helicopter ride for Janine and I at some point during my stay. This was made more special for me by the fact that Mom and Dad did this same thing on their honeymoon in Kauai and enjoyed it immensely. After a morning run and a dip in the pool, Samantha came to collect me for lunch. We gathered picnic materials (and a few extras) at Whole Foods, then ventured off to Ho`omaluhia Botanical Garden to enjoy lunch and catch up in the tropical air. Samantha insisted on singing to me (twice) over our shared piece of blueberry cheesecake and gave me an extremely thoughtful present. As we, on average, see one another 2-3 times per year, seeing each other twice in one week was a treat! Later that night Janine, Derrick, and I went for sushi at Tokoname Restaurant in Kailua, and for Kona Coffee and Macadamia Nut Gelato afterward (delicious). My favorites were the Ahi Tuna and Sake (salmon), which were much fresher and less "fishy" tasting than sushi is in WNY. All-in-all, my birthday was a relatively quiet day spent with friends in a beautiful place. Looking forward to what my 25th year has in store for me!