Newsletter
Giving Thanks from Dolphin Journeys
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Aloha Friends,
It has been a great season at Dolphin Journeys! We just concluded our annual healing retreat with Dr. Sam Berne, which was once again a great success (www.drsamberne.com). It was amazing to watch our guests put their regular lives on hold, give to themselves for a week, and have incredible results. In retrospect, all of us would benefit from taking time for ourselves; our inner care and self healing. Too often, we neglect our own care, pushing it aside while we attend to our busy lives. The Dolphins were very gracious with our guests and not only did we have phenomenal Dolphin swims, we had phenomenal Pelagic Manta Ray swims and even a Humpback Whale sighting. With joy, I watched as each retreat member grew and benefited, the same way as I also was healed by the Dolphins. Aha! That is why I believe so passionately in Dolphin Journeys and what we do.
Among other blessings with Sam Berne’s Wellness Retreat, was the opportunity to spend time with healer and artist Shawn Gallaway, who joined us to include musical healing. Shawn is co-hosting the Dolphin Song retreat with me in March. I am excited to announce that March 24-31, we will host a 7-day, 7-night retreat, with emphasis on healing through music and Dolphins. This retreat is an incredible way to re-charge, de-stress and reconnect with our inner self. Shawn Gallaway is an incredible musician and those unfamiliar with his work– the conscious music movement, should check him out atshawngallaway.com. His background in the healing arts and music is a great addition to our Dolphin Song retreat. Unfortunately, space is limited, so early registration is required and rewarded. Those who book their spot for the Dolphin Song retreat before 2012 will receive a free 1hr Swedish massage during the week of the retreat. Please log on to info@dolphinjourneys.com for more information.
Tis the season- with great excitement, we announce that the Humpback whales have arrived early this year to the Kona coast. So it is a good time to start booking your whale watching trip. Our trips fill up very fast in Dec-March so please encourage your friends and family to book ahead. I am also happy to announce that I have added another excursion, which is a guided hike to Pololu valley. This sacred and scenic spot is a must for visitors and if you have never been there before, now is the time.
Life is good at Dolphin Journeys. Sailor (the boat dog) is doing great and I have shed an additional 15 lbs, on top of the 100lbs I had lost! During this season of gratitude, I want to say thank you for supporting Dolphin Journeys. Please continue to send friends and family our way, we so appreciate you sharing about us. We promise to give them an unforgettable experience, whether we are hiking down the cliff of Pololu, visiting the Womb of Creation at Volcano National Park, or are on the boat visiting our marine friends.
Mahalo, and please do come visit us soon.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
(Hau’oli Lanui me ka Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!)
- Captain Nancy
Spring has Sprung and Summer days are on their Way!
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
Spring time in Hawaii is always a magical time. The dolphins are playing with great joy and the waters are clam and clear. It is so nice to enjoy a Dolphin Journey. The dolphins were doing this amazing dance with our new crew Thomas Grassberger. Thomas hopped in for one last swim at the end of the day and the dolphins played with him, loving on him, including Thomas into the pod. It was a beautiful heart warming sight. Thomas was buzzing with joy!
We had special guest Aaron, a young man in college who is Autistic. He wore short ants for the first time in 12 years for his first boat trip on the ocean. His Mom Judy was in my Angel Therapy Practitioner class with Doreen Virtue in 2002. So great to reconnect. Judy was guided by the dolphins for some breakthroughs.
A couple of our guests jumped in to join the swim. It was awe-inspiring. The dolphins did not want us to go home. Jim had a plane to catch to Oahu and Jason needed to get to his job here in Kona… so we sadly had to say “goodbye” for the day. A magical day for everyone.
Dolphin Journeys Newsletter – March 2009
Sunday, March 1st, 2009
Dolphin Journeys FaceBook Fan Page. Reviewing the new entries on the Dolphin Journeys “Fan” page on Facebook has become an almost daily program. I am enjoying it. I hope you’ll become a fan of Dolphin Journeys! We are posting pictures and videos…and asking YOU to share your pictures, videos, and special stories, too! If you have a great pic or vid from your trip, please feel free to become a fan & share it with others! Stay in touch, share, and let’s remember our special day together at Facebook. A Hui Hou, Capt. Nancy!
Whale Season 2009 – Newborn Babies! Hooray! The whales are here. This is a time of great joy and excitement as we are graced by the presence of the majestic humpback whales that come here to make love and give birth to their calves. They will spend several months here in Kona, as the babies grow and gain strength to make the long trip back to Alaska.
This year the first sighting of a humpback came early. Humpbacks are commonly known to be in our waters from December through April, but this year the first one was spotted in early October. NOAA researches believe we will have between 10,000 and 12, 000 humpbacks visiting the Hawaiian Islands this year.
Adult Humpback Whales are about the size of a school bus. They range from 40 to 50 feet in length as adults and weigh approximately 80,000 pounds. Newborn Humpback Whales are about 12 feet long. Humpbacks are baleen whales, which mean they are filter feeders. They are very gentle creatures and it is amazing to watch them care for their young calves. Humpbacks are beautiful and graceful, and it is an honor to be in their presence. Some of our most memorable trips include dolphin swims with whale sightings.
Combo Trips. If you are visiting Kona between January and April it is a great time to book a “combo” trip. We spend about six hours on the water. We visit the dolphins in the morning and spend the afternoon with the whales. If you love whales and dolphins it is a trip that will create memories for a lifetime. Inquire about a Combo Trip today!In
Memory of Pluto. My big news is the loss of sweet Pluto. Oh my gosh – I can not believe he is gone. He made his transition in my arms in February. He died of poisoning from anti-freeze. He will be greatly missed by so many, including all the dolphins. Tiffany is starting to adjust, but she is lonely and misses her brother & playmate. The boat is very quiet and the dolphins are looking for their buddy Pluto. I will have a service for Pluto when his ashes return from the cremation service. Aloha and Farewell to one special little guy!
New Crew Review! Dolphin Journeys is happy to welcome our new crew member, Randy Johnson, and intern, Bess Kraft, to our family. Jan Salerno, who has been loosely associated with Dolphin Journeys, is returning to Hawaii this month to work part time with us. Jan is a scuba instructor and artist. Jan is most joyously known as our parade float artist. Jan was a Mer-Deer on the Christmas Parade and made a huge splash as we made our way down Ali’i Drive. Jan “Mer-Deer” was the hit in the Christmas parade!
Randy is a student of Chinese Medicine in Waimea. He is crewing weekends for Dolphin Journeys. He was a dive master in Malaysia and a Scuba Instructor in Honduras and then found his way to the Big Island to attend the Traditional Chinese Medical College of Hawaii. We are glad to have him aboard. He is charming, hard working and very competent.
Captain Nancy on the Radio! In January 2009, Captain Nancy was a guest on the Everything in Energy radio show to talk about her knowledge, experience, and passion for dolphins. The hosts of the show, David and Kristin Morelli, experienced the dolphins, mantas and humpbacks while on two different journeys with us. Kristin and David immediately recognized not only the difference in the energies emitted by each of the creatures, but also the energy that is shared between Captain Nancy and these amazing animals. Having spent over fourteen years with these animals, Captain Nancy is like an “old trusted friend” and seems to draw these animals to her. Listen to Nancy’s Magical Guest Spot Online!
White Whale! A recent story emerged out of Australia of a white humpback whale being spotted in their waters. Discover more on Dolphin Journeys’ fan page discussion board.
Aloha and Happy Spring!
Captain Nancy
Dolphin Journeys Newsletter – June 2008
Sunday, June 1st, 2008
Life is good in Hawaii. The dolphins are fabulous! They love greeting everyone, jumping and spinning for our delight. Bless their hearts!
Late spring and early summer brings fewer visitors. There is time to catch up on the life on land. The grass is green, my lime tree had a banner crop, tomatoes in my garden are flourishing, and pineapples are growing. The fish are running and being caught; coffee trees are blooming! Dolphin Journeys staff are all happy and doing well. Tiffany & Pluto are happy and still have conversations with the dolphins.
This winter – early spring was exciting and very busy at Dolphin Journeys; Valentine’s Day clear through the end of March. We had many days with two boats out, bigger group trips, and one day we had a full dolphin swim trip, a whale watch and a special educational trip up Mauna Kea!
Angel Therapy and the Dolphins. We were delighted to have many guests from the Angel Therapy Practitioners training which is being held here this year. Our guests have been from all across the globe: Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Chile, Brazil…wow! It really doesn’t matter what language the guests speak – the dolphins communicate their joy directly to our hearts!
My administrative magician/reservationist, Jeannie, asked the dolphins one day, “What is it about swimming with humans that you like?” The reply: “You are funny; we enjoy watching you in the water. And we really like receiving your awe and admiration and heartfelt joy after we finish our night’s work!” So come, laugh with the dolphins!
After this very busy period, I am enjoying some time to get caught up on household chores. I went for a spring trip to see my family and attend my college reunion. I was in Minnesota for the last part of May and first week in June. I had the special treat of meeting my newest twin niece and nephew, born this May 15th! Mother and babies are doing fine and well.
Parade Float. This past year we have had fun with our Parade Float. Yes, Dolphin Journeys is in the local parades. We took the old boat trailer and built a parade float from wood. My dear friend, Dr. David did the building and Jan Salerno did the painting. Jan was a set builder in Hollywood…so she has amazing talent. In our first ever parade; we placed first in the float contest. We are having lots of fun being in Parades and finding other venues for the float.
Mark your calendar for the Kona Chocolate Festival! One great venue for the Parade Float was the Kona Chocolate Festival. We were the main sponsor. The float provided a colorful barricade for pedestrian flow. The Kona Chocolate Festival was a fund raising event for the Na’alehu Theater; an organization working to provide activities for youth and teens to offer alternatives to hanging around and doing drugs out of boredom. We had lots of fun at the Chocolate Festival, not to mention great eats! It is a great week to come to Kona and enjoy the world class chocolate, great music and fun for everyone. (April 4th 2009)
Volcano Action! Our extraordinary volcano, Kilauea, is very alive and active. I was there leading a tour for a group a few weeks ago. The plumes of gases rising from the caldera and the lava pouring into the sea were spectacular! Yes, we stayed upwind, so as not to breathe the noxious fumes. Vist the Volcano’s web site for more!
I took this photo from about a mile or more away. The lava is flowing into the sea. The weird effects is from the slow exposure and my steady hand or lack there of. There are 3 streams of lava flowing. The red glow is the lava on land down in a ‘puka’ – just out of sight. The white smoke is anyone’s guess … Madam Pele, Goddess of the Volcano, showing herself?
Remember, Dolphin Journeys has a Volcano tour if you would enjoy a guided trip and visit the special sites and learn more in-depth about the Volcano and the area….
Fun with Social Media! This spring I created a MySpace page and a FaceBook Fan page for Dolphin Journeys. Check out the videos! The goal on these pages is to have a forum for Dolphin Journeys guests to share their stories and upload pictures. If you have a great photo or story — please — become a fan of Dolphin Journeys, and share your story with others!
I also have a LinkedIn page. My sister Sandy is a wiz at LinkedIn! It is a professional networking site. If you participate at LinkedIn, enjoyed your time with Dolphin Journeys, and want to build your LinkedIn connections – feel free to add me as a connection! I am finding my Macalester College classmates before the reunion, via LinkedIn. So this is how I spend my nights before bed, these days. My web master,Laura Bergells, has been nudging me to be active on these sites for the past year; keeping me ”current” with the trends of web use.
Dolphin Journeys is looking forward to a fun summer season. My nephew Bennett will be back this June for a month, to help the crew will all the darling children on the dolphin trips. It is a big help to have the extra swimmer with the kids. Bennett enjoys the boat tours and especially guests his age. We also will have interns this summer, in the fall, and next winter! These college interns are learning the operation of an entrepreneurial guest services company while getting a terrific education in the marine environment.
Get Dolphin Gifts. Our Dolphin Gift Shop is where to go if you want to have a mug with your favorite dolphins or pick up a new t-shirt for the summer. There are greeting cards, tote bags, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, a coloring book, and baby items too.
All the fabulous journeys we take are thanks to you! We have shared days in the sun, with the crystal clear blue water and the joy of being surrounded by dolphins and whales. The Manta Ray evenings are so magical. We are most honored to be able to fulfill the dreams of a lifetime and revel in the lightness of spirit you experience. Thank you – you make these journeys the special trips that we all enjoy.
Winter 2008 Newsletter
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008
Winter again. Winter in Hawaii means humpback whales, bright blue clear skies all day and baby dolphins learning to spin!
Humpback Whales Singing a New Song
Yes, the Humpback Whales are home for the winter. They arrived in October and we frequently saw them in December. This is early for the humpback whales in Kona. They greet us with abundance for the holiday season; a special treat to have lots of whale sightings to celebrate with the New Year. They come home to Kona to breed and give birth.
The Humpbacks sing new songs each breeding season, yet how all whales sing the same new song each year is a mystery. The songs are amazing. They are highly structured, and, at any time, all the males in the population sing the same song using the same sounds arranged in the same pattern. The humpback whale ‘song’ has been heard by sailors for centuries. The first known recordings of humpback songs were made, via U.S. Navy ships, in the late 1950s off Hawaii and Bermuda. Scientists first recognized these sounds as coming from humpback whales in the 1960s, and the first technical description of humpback whale song was published in Science in 1971 by Dr. Roger Payne and Scott McVay.
We know that the males produce the long songs, ranging from 5-30 minutes. The length of the song appears to depend on the age of the whale. The song develops in complexity as the whale develops. Young whales start with one theme and will increase to 5-7 themes. (As a point of reference, only 3-4 themes are used in classical music!) You can hear songs repeated again and again for up to three hours. The males sing mainly during the breeding season, so the song is probably related to mating. It is not known whether the songs are used mainly to attract females, to threaten other males, or to celebrate breeding success. Whale songs differ from population to population – the humpback whales of the North Pacific (Hawaii, Mexico, Japan) have different songs than, for example, the humpback whales of the South Pacific. Perhaps these are different dialects? The humpback whale song is one of the most complex, non-human, acoustic displays in the animal kingdom. It is amazing to hear.
Yesterday we were out about 2 miles from Kua Bay. For about 20 minutes we watched a baby a few days old, with Mom. The baby was doing baby breaches; so cute and precious. Joining them were 3 rambunctious young adults in a heat run. They were very entertaining. Finally, I believe, a male scored. Mom and baby veer off to the west, and a solo whale dove. The 2 whales were frolicking with white water and splashing galore. We headed out and away. Moving to a safe distance away, we wanted to hear the song “live”. We all slipped in the water and listened to the whale song. Oh so moving: Listen to the heart song. It is one of the most moving experiences on this planet. The song travels great distances. It sounded like the singing male whale was nearby, however in reality the whale we heard singing could have been a few miles away.
Join us at Dolphin Journeys on a whale watch and enjoy these magnificent wise mammals. We offer whale watch – dolphin excursions and whale watch – manta snorkel combination trips this year, as well as our regular dolphin excursions, whale watches and manta ray evenings. The combo trips are intended to enhance your dolphin encounter and enjoy a leisurely whale watch, or spend the afternoon with the whales before an evening with manta rays. It is all breath taking!Join us on one of our amazing whale excursions!
Dolphins! The dolphins are wonderful as always. They joyfully share the waters with their whale cousins for the winter. They send there love and blessings to all for the new year.
People:
Dolphin Journeys is blessed to have fabulous staff. We have added new positions and things seem to be humming along. If you have called this year, Jeanie or Sandy answered the phone. This year our dedicated staff is making the business at Dolphin Journeys happen smoothly and skillfully.
Jeanie is managing the office, keeping Captain Nancy at the helm of Dolphin TLC. She has brought her years of experience and happy nature to the position of Administrative Wizard. Many of you have enjoyed the friendly voice who greets you on the phone.
Sandy, crewed on the boat Nov. 2006- Sept. 2007, and is now waiting to give birth any day. When she no longer could navigate the boat due to the expanding belly, she moved into the office to help Jeanie with the clerical stuff. We are all excited to meet the new baby who swam with dolphins from conception until 5 months in womb. Sandy misses the boat and is very excited to be a Mom.
Karen is still around; for those of you who remember Karen as Nancy,s right hand gal in the office. She now volunteers her time in the Dolphin Office and works on the boat with our large groups.
We have a part time permanent Captain, Capt. Jay at the helm of the Dolphin TLC 3 days a week. He is very well versed in the biodiversity of the ocean and Kona Coast. You will enjoy his wealth of knowledge and quiet demeanor. Nancy now has a couple of days in the office and a day off to relax, have fun and catch up. After 11 years, on 95% of all Dolphin Journeys, it is time. This also gives us easy expansion for days when we have large groups. The Dolphin TLC can still take the intimate 6 passengers and we can serve our retreat groups and corporate clients simultaneously. 
A wonderful woman, Robin, has joined as crew. She moved to Hawaii to be near her daughter who is about to give birth to her first grandchild. Robin has years of experience boating and is loving her days on the water. She has a background in veterinary medicine. After many delightful 20 something’s who usually crew, it is a pleasure having the grace and maturity of a confident woman! Robin has a keen desire for all our guests to have the best possible experiences.
Our summer intern, Amanda, has gone home to North Carolina. She graduated mid-December at University of North Carolina Wilmington. She completed her 12 week internship program at Dolphin Journeys and thus finished the course work for her Parks and Recreation Major.
We have a new apprentice, Amanda B. She has stepped off a cruise ship a month ago and came aboard the Dolphin TLC to learn seamanship. She is on sabbatical from her studies. She is eagerly working the program and asking for more sophisticated nautical training. I love it! We are including a testing process with the performance based evaluation of the students. Sorry interns, future interns will be tested on their knowledge of marine mammals and nautical data along with the bi-monthly reports and mid and final evaluations. Do they pay attention to Nancy’s Dolphin briefings? Do they remember the nautical terms when Nancy works with them on the boat?
New applicants are welcome … if you have a young adult interested in our intern program, visit our Internship page online for information and an application.
Dolphin Journey crew and friends at the Primary First Responder & CPR course: we keep our first aid skills up to par. Dolphin TLC has emergency oxygen on board along with complete first aid supplies. Although we hope to never need this equipment or these skills, we are prepared.
We at Dolphin Journeys look forward to a fabulous year of dolphins, whales, manta rays and, most especially, we want to share our adventures with you!
Aloha, Capt. Nancy, and Staff
Dolphin Journeys Newsletter – December 2006
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006
 Joyful a Season of Blessings and Goodwill to All!
The Dolphins, Capt. Nancy, and everybody in Hawaii are gearing up for a fabulous and busy holiday season. We send you all Greetings for this most magic Thanksgiving is such a perfect way to begin the season; giving thanks for all Now we are in the season of giving and celebrating. The sun is about to turn around to bring us more light each day. Here in Hawaii this is subtle. For you who live a bit closer to the North or South Poles, this is a most welcome transition. When the light of day is ending all too soon, remember the warmth of the sun on your shoulders, the balmy breeze on you face and the squeal of joyous dolphins or the song of the magnificent humpback whale from your sweet days in Hawaii. We are glad you came and shared some fun with Dolphin Journeys. “Thank You!” My holiday preparations began yesterday with the outside lights going up. We trim the house, the palm tree and a few lights on the lime tree. It is festive; I love coming home to the colorful lights. It warms my heart. Now for the mac nuts and coffee to buy, wrap and mail. My family in Minnesota, Houston and New Blessings to you and your family this season. May your celebration with its special and personal expression be warm, joyous and sprinkled in magic! Warmest Aloha! Capt. Nancy, The Dolphins, Tiffany & Pluto!
The pink t-shirt with the mother & baby is our most popular t-shirt for the women. A coffee mug for the office with your dolphin friends may be a good gift.
The time from order to your door is about a week. So today is a good day to get some of those Christmas gifts on their way towards being under your tree, at the Hanukkah celebration or your exchange of Spirit celebration. This is a Mahalo in advance for your support of this endeavor.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the public comments to NOAA regarding the proposed changes to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. I really appreciate the outpouring of support! If you missed the time frame, I am sure you can still send letters in. We will not know the result for a year or more. I have invited Chris Yates out on my boat and he said he would come in January. I will keep you posted as I learn more.
Our beautiful giants, the humpback whales, are arriving and beginning to fill the waters with their beautiful song. It is
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