Aquatic Marine Viewing Experience
” A breakthrough in Dolphin / Human interaction”

We did it!!!!

We are proud to announce that over six years of development and three years since the first application was lodged, Dolphin Swim Australia P/L, Imagine Cruises Port Stephens and DolphCom Solutions (yours truly) have succeeded

On the 11.01.10 Dolphin Swim Australia P/L was granted the first commercial license to swim with dolphins EVER issued in the state of New South Wales…. How cool is that?

The Aquatic Marine Viewing Experience (AMVE) is a breakthrough in dolphin / human interaction. Using specific approach techniques and relying on the dolphins amazing intelligence and inherent interest in the human animal, we now are able to share with YOU an open water, in-water dolphin experience daily (on demand), right here in the Blue Water Wonderland of Port Stephens marine park NSW Australia.

Be the first to join us on our special series of trials.

Become a dolphin researcher for the day, as we commence the most comprehensive migratory and distribution study of the “common” dolphin ever held and begin to understand the wonderful Dephinus delphi (the common dolphin).

Learn and understand more about these amazing beings (the dolphins) and their environment.

Here’s your chance to be involved!

Participate in one of three open water trials at a special discounted rate.

Trial One: Saturday - 27^th February 2010

Trial Two: Saturday - 6^th March 2010

Trial Two: Sunday - 7^th March 2010

• Maximum 20 swimmers 22 observers per program
• Program commences 7.30am -12pm each trial day
• Includes: Wetsuit (compulsory), mask and fins (supplied & fitted by Pro-Dive Nelson Bay.
• Arrive Nelson Bay and get fitted for equipment 7:15am
• Embark Imagine Dock C d’Albora Marina for groups and briefing 7:45am
• Depart for the blue water wonderland and a whole lot of fun and adventure 8:00am
• Over four hours of quality experience, superb training and invaluable information

The only licensed dolphin swim in NSW AMVE program value:

• $229 per swimmer (minimum age 12years) waiver and booking form required. Includes equipment hire and GST
• Observer $60 Includes GST

• Special Trial Rate: $169 per person swimmers
• $30 Observers
• This rate is only available for 27th February, 6th & 7th March full rates apply after the trial period

Book Now with Andrew 0438444500
Or Imagine Cruises (Rick) 0249849000 please quote this newsletter for special rates.
You will be able to book on-line at the DolphCom website by 12th February until then please call.

Summer / Autumn Seaon Calendar

February
Saturday 27th Trial One (Andrew’s birthday swim)

March
Saturday 6th Trial Two
Sunday 7th Trial Three Special rate ends today
Saturday 13th
Sunday 14th
Saturday 20th
Saturday 27th
Sunday 28th

April
Saturday 3rd
Sunday 4th
Saturday 10th
Sunday 11th
Saturday 17th
Sunday 18th
Saturday 24th
Sunday 25th

May (Whale Season commences)
Saturday 15th
Sunday 16th
Saturday 22nd
Sunday 23rd
Saturday 29th
Sunday 30th

Rest of season and Winter swims mid-week on demand schedule TBA

• All previous swim participants (2008-09) who have been offered another swim or may be holding a certificate / voucher from last season, this is your chance to come again over these three trials at no cost. these vouchers / certificates or agreements will become invalid after the trial period! This statement is published on the terms and conditions www.dolphcom.com.au

• NB This is a new venture / new company! After the trial period has ended Dolphin Swim Australia P/L will not be obliged to honour these outstanding vouchers. If in doubt call now 0438444500 and speak with Andrew.

Denmarks Faroe Islanders dolphin Hunt

HI,

I’m about to share the reply to a letter I received about the barbaric dolphin hunt that a remote island people take part in.

The email has been ‘doing the rounds’ for years now and made quite a few trips round the world I’m sure. Most of the emails I received asked “what can we do about this atrocity”? This prompted me to seek my own clarity on this situation, it has been requested that I share it with you publicly and I invite your comments. I wrote the letter to a friend called Treacy, here it is in it’s entirety. Please note I have not included any of the pictures of this event.

HI Treacy,

This is a particularly bloody ritual in the Faroe Islands off Denmark.

The Faroe islanders have been rounding up and slaughtering dolphins and small whales for hundreds of years. I always wonder what type of ‘pressure’ put in place by outsiders actually works when people (locals) feel it is their ‘right’ or cultural heritage to do something.

I mean, that at least I try to understand another’s point of view. I’m not sure what to do here, these islands are remote and fairly inaccessible. The meat (though I am sure it is laden with mercury and PCB’s) forms a staple part of their diet, the oil is a valuable commodity. (Remember that oil was the driving force behind all shore and ship based whaling).

Even for Australian’s ( I assume you’re Australian) to stand up and condemn others for whaling is barely past the hypocritical stage. We hunted the Humpback, Southern Right, Blue, Fin and others to the very brink of extinction and only stopped (because there were none left) in the late 70’s. Not that long ago really!

So what do we do now? Now that we created this mess? Do we pick on a handful of islanders for their ignorance? Can we ask ourselves the truly hard questions? Are we ready to face the truth? Do you eat Tuna Treacy? I do and so do millions of others. We are decimating our fish stocks, with entire stocks of many species on the verge of collapse.

Do you use the toilet? I do! All our waste (in Australia) is still barely treated with billions of litres of water (in the driest continent on Earth) and pumped into the ocean. A wonderful and rich resource lost forever…

Do you drink from plastic bottles? I do! Every square kilometer of ocean has thousands of pieces of plastic in it. It is the new element, as it breaks down it becomes smaller and smaller though never changes into another element. It enters the food chain, it litters our beaches, it kills wildlife from the biggest whales to the smallest organisms.

Do you buy fruit and vegetables? I do! By the time our food gets to us there are about 10,000 chemicals that have been involved in the growth, manufacture and distribution of our foods. Each of these chemicals get into the food chain, many into our rivers and oceans with catastrophic results.

Fighting each other doesn’t work. At least I can’t see an example of where fighting or war has changed a thing yet. So why do we want to boycott, or fight or segregate a culture for their practices when each culture looks at the other with contempt and hypocrisy? Are we the example for the world? Do we want that amount of pressure on ourselves? Could we withstand the scrutiny that would follow?

Change begins with myself! When I change what I do, what I think, what I say and how I say it. When I come from love, not fear then I see my world change. What can I do about the things that matter? I only can change me! The question is what do I want? Really, what do I want to put time effort and energy into? What can I sustain? What would love do now?

Many blessings

Andrew Parker

6/11/09

Whale Song Whale swims and play-shop

HA’APAI TONGA

In August / September 2010 we are again holding a special event on Foa Island in the Ha’apai group in the friendly islands of Tonga.

This event has been called forth by our brothers and sisters the Whales and Dolphins and is a direct result of the love and trust they hold in and for us. I believe it is an extension of their desire to share the love they have for us. It is an opportunity to connect, with each other and the Whales. This is a time for us to meet with them personally while we open our hearts to their songs and allow our minds to meld, bringing forth our own innate intelligence and wisdom. This is a time listen to the Whales.

Whales and Dolphins are the hearts and minds of the oceans! Perhaps they silently hold us above how we may even see ourselves. Perhaps their gifts to us of their very lives over the last 500 years, as we have used them as a ‘resource’ to better ourselves and to evolve that has now reached a plateau. Perhaps we now hold in our hands all the tools we need to make the changes we wish to see. At this time they have a message for us, one that links to our very survival as a species and the care of the planet we reside upon. Perhaps it is time for us to give something back…

Read the rest of this entry »

January sees weekly swimming with dolphin programs (AMVE) every Saturday Sunday at Australia’s premier dolphin swimming Blue Water Wonderland Port Stephens.

Joining DolphCom’s expert team of dolphin swim facilitators this summer is leading world dolphin researcher and film maker Elise Bailey. Elise brings with her many years experience as an in-water facilitator and is assisting the development of DolphCom’s comprehensive Pacific Common Dolphin research program. Click here for her full bio and outline of the Dolphin research program.

Join our team as we bow surf with the cheeky common dolphins at our designated interaction area called ‘The gravel patch’. Here we swim with dolphins, using our unique Aquatic Marine Viewing Experience. AMVE is the only swim with dolphins program in Port Stephens. The dolphins we interact with have complete integrity in all our interactions. Our dolphins choose to be with us or not. DolphCom never chase or use behavior modification techniques.

Come and play this weekend! BOOK NOW for the most exciting dolphin swimming in NSW.

Join the professional team DolphCom and Imagine cruises as we introduce the best swim with dolphins program in New South Wales.

Seven years in development, the aquatic marine viewing experience brings swimming with dolphins in Port Stephens to an era of total integrity for the dolphins involved. Pacific common dolphins are the species we encounter most. Up to 5 nautical miles offshore we encounter this pelagic and very cheeky species that despite their prevalence in oceanic waters, we know very little about.

These dolphins know us. They seem to understand the procedure we must adhere to, to allow us to have the type of close encounter that makes this swim with dolphins program the most exciting this author has ever experienced.

When the dolphins swim and glide from bow to bow, glancing up to see if we are game to get in the water with them you find yourself grinning from ear to ear as you anticipate the profound encounter to come.

This is a great Christmas present, the gift that keeps on giving. Give a dolphin swim and try the AMVE today! Click here to BOOK NOW

Listen to travel writer Glenn A. Baker discuss his life changing experience on the exotic Tongan island of Ha’apai, swimming with Humpback whales the size of a small block of flats.

Glenn A. Baker joined our team and a lucky group of people all keen to experience this unique adventure, on our famous annual ‘ Tongan Whale Song Play-Shop’ tour.

Travel writer Glenn A. Baker ABC radio interview.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The trademark swim with dolphins program AMVE (Aquatic marine viewing experience) had another successful morning at Port Stephens.

Saturday 19.10.08 6:15am

After our briefing about the beautiful marine park environment and safety aspects of our swimming with dolphins experience our excited team were greeted by several hundred pacific common dolphins within 1500 metres of the entrance to Port Stephens.

Observing our catamaran enroute the pod immediately raced to our bows, criss-crossing and rolling as they looked up at our very excited faces. Captain Frank Future pulled up and allowed the dolphins to move away to the mandatory distances. They knew something was up because as soon as we hit the water there were dolphins swimming all around us.

Our vessel, a large cat has two bows and dozens of dolphins took turns coming over to us, rolling on their sides and filling our ears with their high pitched ultra-sonic communications. Today there were three to four main pods of many hundreds of dolphins swimming and fishing in the clear waters. One family group came in time and again, we were able to identify this group by one females distinct dorsal fin that had a sizable piece missing.

Our people all had three to four sessions on the bow rope, gliding in and with the pods. Smiles and laughter filled the air. Aquatic marine viewing experience BOOK NOW or follow this link to reserve your place.

AMVE Sample from Kerry Smith on Vimeo.

WET & WILD PROMOTION

For select clients, DolphCom will offer a one off 2 for 1 $169 AMVE (HALF PRICE)

3 hour Dolphin swim at Port Stephens and observers $30 (HALF PRICE)

I want you to book and come along or send to someone you know that always wanted to swim with dolphins!!

THIS SATURDAY ONLY!!!

Date: Saturday 18^th October

Where: Dock C d’albora marina Nelson bay

Time: 6.45am on the dock departure 6am

Need to bring: Wetsuit essential all dive shops hire these(mask, snorkel, fins provided) you can bring your own!

Numbers are limited to 20 swimmers max , 28 observers so BOOK NOW

Book on-line http://www.dolphcom.com.au/tours or free call 1300 721 358 or 0438444500 credit cards welcome

WET & WILD SPRING DOLPHIN SWIM DISCOUNT!

OCTOBER 18TH & 19TH

Swimming with Dolphins is touted consistently as a “Top 10 thing to do before I die”. On the back of the beautiful and touching feature film ” The Bucket List”, we are so sure of the health benefits of our trademark Dolphin swim the AMVE or Aquatic Marine Viewing Experience we are offering a 15% reduction as a gift to you on our next program 18th of October 2008.

Imagine a clear crisp spring dawn, the sun coming up and an ocean teeming with common dolphins all wanting you to come and play. Imagine the joy of a Dolphin swim at Port Stephens different to any other you may have seen or experienced before. Complete integrity for the Dolphins and the calming, healing and connecting feeling of JOY.

You deserve this. Just $169 per swimmer and $60 for an observer. 20 swimmers maximum on each Dolphin swim. Call 1300 721358 and speak to Andrew for your 15% discount when you mention the website or newsletter. BOOK NOW

Starting next weekend you can swim with dolphins in the blue water wonderland of Port Stephens NSW Australia. Join our team onboard Imagine our wonderful ocean Catamaran as dolphins swim right up to our boat, free to come and go as they choose in the wide expanse of the Tasman sea.

You can train in the trademark AMVE (aquatic marine viewing experience) or simply dolphin watch as you observe the most amazing dolphin swimming program in Australia.

The dolphins are completely wild, in open water and are never enticed to approach. They do this of their own free will.

Starting 6am 4th October swim with the dolphins in Australia. BOOK NOW limited numbers available

Swimming with Dolphins - AMVE Program from Andrew Parker on Vimeo.

I’ve been asking people that question for years. Traveling the world, visiting many places that offer ‘dolphin swim’ programs left me scratching my head. There must be a better way!

For us it was right under our noses, we have been doing it for six (6) years!

The Aquatic Marine Viewing Experience™ is unique.

Commencing 4^th & 5^th October you can swim with wild Dolphins allowing complete integrity for the Dolphins while you participate in the most amazing and exciting experience of swimming with dolphins.

Imagine entering into the clear waters offshore in Port Stephens blue water wonderland.

As you enter, you’re aware of the water filled with a matrix of sonic communication, as dozens of Pacific Common Dolphins fish and play in the distance.

You feel their sonar probing you as you slip into position on the bow. You smile as the excitement of a close encounter with one of the most amazing being on this planet appears imminent.

Gently you move forward with the boat, within moments you are surrounded by the cheeky and playful commons as they roll and play, crisscrossing the twin hulls of our ocean cat.

This is the AMVE! This is a close encounter of the most wonderful kind.

I invite you to come and share this experience. BOOK NOW to reserve your place.

Maximum 20 swimmers per trip. Observers welcome Saturday and Sunday mornings early. The weathers warming up fast what are you waiting for?

Andrew J