I recently visited Dolphin Quest on my trip to Bermuda. Dawn was not with me on this trip so my wife Elizabeth (Liz) Schultz who is Director of Sales for Homewood Suites by Hilton in Mobile, Alabama, acted as a stand-in.
We were greeted by Sundee Faulkner, Sales and Outreach Manager for DQ Bermuda. She took us to the gift shop and sign in area for Dolphin Quest. There were some cobblestone areas in the museum, but in general would be very navigatable by wheelchair, scooter or power chair. Sundee described the process that they have in place for guests with mobility challenges: They block out exclusive times for anyone who has a disability, and others that may need extra time or privacy for their experience.
I am a Navy brat and also graduated high school in Bermuda, so perhaps that is why they put me with the dolphin named Cirris. She is actually a retired US Navy dolphin—Wow! Can you believe they put me with a navy veteran? Cirrus is also dealing with a disability, she is totally blind in one eye and so she uses her sonar and hearing to function.
Liz, also known as Dawn’s stand in, was placed at the end of the dock and scooted down the steps (please see pictures) without using her legs for the whole experience.
It was great to see that Dolphin Quest Bermuda (and their counterparts on the Big Island and Oahu in Hawaii) has made special arrangements for guests with disabilities. They are patient and know the importance of opening up this life-changing experience with dolphin to a wide-ranging group of participants. Kudos Dolphin Quest.
Side note–here is a brief video of Dolphin Quest Bermuda’s Sundee Faulkner explaining a recent experience with a visually-impaired guest: IMG_1403.MOV
–By Sean Schultz/Dream Vacations’ Vacation Specialist
