How many times have you been to Cabo San Lucas?
Hayley and Danny: We have only been once but will definitely be coming back!

Where did you stay?
Hayley and Danny: We were staying on the Mariner of the Seas Cruise Ship that took us into three different ports in Mexico.

What was the highlight of your trip?
Hayley and Danny: The highlight of our trip was swimming with the dolphins! It was the best thing we have ever done. It was an unforgettable experience.

What was your favorite part of the tour(s) you took with us?
Hayley and Danny: The dorsal ride with the dolphin was our favorite part of the trip. It was so exciting being able to ride with the dolphin, he was very gentle and as all dolphins are, highly intelligent. When we held onto the dorsal of the dolphin and he began swimming, it was the best feeling ever. We have wanted to swim with dolphins for a long time and now we have done it we want to do it again! It was fantastic!

What other tours would you go on if you had the chance?
Hayley and Danny: We would love to go on the “Trainer for a Day” program most of all. We would also like to go on the sunset cruise and the jeep safari – they look a lot of fun!

What did you think of our crew? Our guides?
Hayley and Danny: The crew were fantastic, very helpful and friendly. They made sure that everybody got one-on-one time with the dolphin and they made the instructions very clear. Because they were so friendly and professional, it made everyone feel at ease including some of the children who were in our group who were a bit nervous. The nerves soon went away!

Any advice for future travelers to Cabo?
Hayley and Danny: Our advice would be if there is one thing that you need to visit when in Cabo – go and swim with the dolphins!

Have you traveled to other parts of Mexico? Where?
Hayley and Danny: We have been to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan but only to the ports.

What are some of your hobbies? Do you play sports?
Hayley and Danny: Danny is a scuba diver and also likes to play football, go to the gym and swim. We both love to travel  and experience new adventures.

If you were to describe your vacation with the title of a song, what would that song be?
Hayley and Danny: Here, There and Everywhere by The Beatles

Favorite Spanish word(s) or phrase?
Hayley and Danny: Vamos a tener otra aventura!

What best describes you? The chips?  Or the salsa?
Hayley and Danny: The salsa!

Through intense research and studies, she found that not only did dolphins evoke feelings of joy in the people that came into contact with them but that special needs children often experienced positive changes in personality, emotions, sleep and verbal skills through Dolphin Assistance Therapy (DAT). She believes the curative swim sessions and non invasive therapy has improved conditions such as: clinical depression, cerebral palsy, autism, Down Syndrome, among others.

In 1991, Silvia Tencer founded the non-profit organization; Cultural Education Production Association (CEPA) which provides educational programming for special needs Latino children and their low income families in the Chicago area. The primary focus of this organization is to enhance diversity, increase cultural awareness and offer dolphin therapy assistance programs to families who under normal circumstances could not meet the expense of such programs.

Throughout the year, CEPA holds benefits and fundraiser to raise money to pay for all travel, accommodations, meals and other expenses plus the dolphin assistance sessions for the children.

Earlier this week, Silvia Tencer brought her group of nine special needs children and their families from Chicago, Illinois to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Fundraising by CEPA and charitable donations from many people and companies made this a dream come true for everyone involved.

When I met Silvia here at our Dolphin Center, she especially wanted to thank Dreams Villamagna in Nuevo Vallarta for their generous donations of accommodations and commend Vallarta Adventures for donating 100% of their dolphin assistance program sessions and experienced staff for the entire trip.

Since all of the families that participated have roots in Mexico, this was an amazing experience for everyone. A chance for them to reconnect with their Mexican heritage and explore their culture, a special time to bond as a family, a place to escape, relax and get away from their often extremely stressful daily lives and for the children to have specific dolphin assistance sessions.

If you are interested in learning more about the dolphin assistance programs we provide please click here and to learn more about Silvia Tencer and CEPA, please visit her website.

Here’s one of my favorite photos taken at our Dolphin Center in Nuevo Vallarta with one of the cutest little girls in the world. No she is not mine so I am not even being biased!

If you have a great photo with one or more of your children taken at our Dolphin Center, send it in to me and I will feature it here.

Our Dolphin Kids program is an excellent choice for children ages 4-8.

Great fun for the entire family plus a very informative experience, the Signature Dolphin Swim is one of those magical adventures that create memories to last a lifetime.

We believe in giving back to the community. Every week we provide, at no cost, a minimum of 20 dolphin assistance sessions to local children with developmental/ physical difficulties or limited resources.

Our Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) programs are tailored to the individual needs and abilities of the participant.
The program consists of in-water interactions between the patient and the dolphin, assisted by our experienced Dolphin Therapy team allowing the childrena fun-filled time away from the stress of medical, physical, or emotional concerns.

One family activity that is great for almost all ages are one or more of the Dolphin Adventures Programs. We have five different dolphin programs, including being a Trainer for a Day. Each program offers a wide range of enchanting, educational and interactive activities aimed at dolphin lovers of all ages.

Since very few tours or excursions around Puerto Vallarta are suitable for children as young as four years old to over a hundred and four years old, we highly recommend the entire family planning a morning or afternoon at our Dolphin Adventure Center in Nuevo Vallarta.

The younger ones will have a blast participating in the Dolphin Kids Program shown below…

…while the older children will love the Dolphin Encounter or the Dolphin Swim Experience. For Dolphin fans, the Dolphin Signature Swim is the top requested dolphin activity but for true dolphin lovers, no vacation is complete unless you are a Dolphin Trainer For A Day with Vallarta Adventures.