if a dive is guaranteed to have dolphins swim up to you and be touched (like the 'swim with the dolphin' tourist things, some areas have) is that really 'diving with dolphins'? is that a 'special' experience?
anyone who pays the $$'s can do it....
imagine this;
you're diving a reef, studying it's beauty. just as your mind settles into the peace only found here. your concentration is broken by a sound. you strain hard to hear it again, but after a moment, you're sure it was your mind playing tricks. you turn your attention back to the reef. your mind is again consumed by the beauty of the reef. you contemplate how long has the reef been there, how many ships have sailed above not realizing what was below. a faint whistle awakens you from your thoughts, then another. you now realize it wasn't a mind trick.
you know what is making those sounds. but you've heard them before. always in the distance. as you listen your mind absorbs the beautiful sounds. more whistles and clicks, you then realize they are much closer than before. you search the edges of your visability for a glimpse of what you know is there.
suddenly, through a shaft of light descending from the surface, you see it. your heart races as you watch the dolphin descend. you notice it's color, how it's muscles ripple as it swims, the raw power of this magnificent creature. out of the corner of your eye you see movement, another dolphin, closely followed by 4 more. you stare in awe at their magnificence.
the pod of dolphins swim toward you, but not too close, they're not sure of you. a stranger in their home. they circle a few times, communicating with each other. then, one of them looks deep into your eyes, into your soul. you feel a warmth, a warmth only experienced by the soulful look from a loved one. at that moment you sense a bond. you are positive, that for a moment, that dolphin 'understood'...
IMHO, that's diving with dolphins.
