The Experience

Imagine a small boat full of people, deep azure sky and the clear indigo Pacific ocean. You are off the Costa Rican shore in Drake Bay and the only sound is the gentle trance like beat of drums….

Then a ripple on the surface! A dolphin is approaching, lured perhaps by the rhythmic pulses. The excitement builds as we realize it is not just one dolphin; there are hundreds of dolphins encircling the boat in a wide embrace of joy!!

We continue drumming a rhythmic beat, our offering to these wonderous and joyful beings of the sea. Some dolphins come closer jumping and swimming in sync to the beating drums. Five, six, sometimes seven dolphins at a time are leaping and playing in the wake of the boat. Now dolphins are jumping in double helixes and cartwheels. Big pacific bottlenose dolphins are leaping high in the air on the outer edge of the circle. Waves of seven to 10 dolphins come in closer and rejoin the larger circle as we continue drumming.

The whole ocean is alive and seemingly responding to our drum beat. Manta rays dance in the air, sailfish and tuna leap with intense energy, flying fish appear suspended above the waves. Sea birds – boobies – fly beside us to acknowledge our musical offering.

All of the drummers on the boat experience an amazing interspecies connection reflecting our joy through music and rhythm. We have confidence that the dolphins are responding to our offering. Roy, a Costa Rican marine biologist, confirms this. He estimates that possibly 500 dolphins or more have come to hear our drumming.

Words are inadequate to express the experience we share with the dolphins. If you would like to experience this, contact Marta at info@wilddolphinjourneys.com to find out about how you can join us on our next trip to drum with the dolphins.