Introducing Your Host, Chris Reid
Introducing Your Host, Chris Reid
Chris is an inspiring personal guide, facilitator, minister and environmental advocate. After experiencing a life-changing encounter with wild dolphins in Florida more than twenty years ago, she began pursuing her life's passion and vision on the Big Island. She shares her wisdom, heart, community and personal experience through efforts to promote understanding and raise awareness of our connection to and responsibility for the natural environment and wildlife surrounding us.
As a certified marine mammal naturalist and researcher, Chris has spent many thousands of hours in the company of dolphins and whales, here in Hawaii as well as in other countries. She has assisted people from around the world in meeting these special creatures in their natural environments. By weaving together her knowledge and observations, and radiating a deep spirit of aloha, she creates a remarkable interspecies experience. Chris works closely with each group, family or individual to provide a unique adventure, sharing her clarity, insight and love of the ocean and it's inhabitants in a way that deeply touches others, revitalizing their own innate connection to Nature.
Guiding others to open and experience the healing power of Nature is the passion that motivates Chris to also share local sacred sites such as Pu'uhonua O'Hanaunau (Place of Refuge), Kealakekua Bay (Pathway of the Gods), Volcanos National Park, and Mauna Kea, teaching others to honor and respect local culture and tradition while exploring the island’s most beautiful natural attractions.
Call of the Dolphins
by Chris ReidPeople have always been fascinated by dolphins. In almost every culture and age, there are stories told of dolphins befriending humans, often guiding those in trouble to safety. They charm us with their indelible smile, their playful presence, and apparent intelligence. In recent years, adventure travel to places like the Bahamas, Australia, Florida and Hawaii where dolphins are accessible in the wild has gained wide popularity, and the dream of swimming with dolphins is shared by children of all ages.
For many seekers, dolphin encounters have been beneficial as a catalyst for personal healing and are seen as life-transforming. We attribute many human traits to dolphins; joy, power, love, playfulness, healing, harmony, while the dolphins are simply reflecting to us who WE really are. Masters of the state of simply "BEing" they serve to remind us that we have the power within ourselves to find wholeness and balance. Dolphins inspire us to remember that we are masters of our own destinies, sovereign beings in our own right. Dolphins are ambassadors in nature, reconnecting us to our Divine Creator.
Being in nature requires that we become fully present, not thinking about the past or the future. We are captured in the moment, and in that moment is the potential for transformation. The dolphins entice us into an ocean world which many people find unfamiliar and frightening, bringing up fear of depths, of what lies unseen beneath the surface, symbolically even death. It is said there are only two causal emotions; love and fear. Once a person experiences breaking through fear, they become empowered in other areas of their lives.
Despite the fact that our bodies are made up of 70-80% water, we think of ourselves as flesh and bones. Rediscovering our "water body" sets us free to discover and explore new worlds, within and without. This reconnection with our primordial mother can help heal our collective sense of separation from Source, and embody the understanding that all life is connected.
Observing dolphins in the wild, we can recognize the existence of other sentient species and a new world view opens up in which all life is connected as one, and what we do affects everything else. As our awareness of the natural world begins to shift we understand that we have a responsibility to care for the planet's creatures and resources and ensure that future generations will enjoy them as well. There are many places around the world where people have unintentionally impacted the dolphins natural environment, endangering their populations. We are called to return to a state of balance, with an increased awareness and sensitivity towards how our activities impact the environment.
In Hawaii, the coastal spinner dolphin pods feed in deep waters offshore by night and frequent leeward shorelines and bays to rest during the day. Exploring the coast by boat is the least invasive way of observing dolphins as the pods are encountered early in the day, while traveling and being "social". Much can be learned by watching them and simply soaking up the spirit of play which they exude. Depending on the dolphins behavior, there are often opportunities to quietly enter the water and observe the dolphins in their own environment. Local tour operators and guides are careful not to disturb, displace or harass the dolphins in any way. Dolphins, while not endangered, are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
There are several protected bays where dolphins are often seen from shore or encountered while snorkeling or kayaking. As these are designated resting areas which are critical to the pods' well-being, it is essential to exercise respect and restraint in initiating an encounter. Be open and patient, allowing the experience to come to you. Weather and sea conditions can change or deteriorate suddenly, so exercise caution and stay alert.
In West Hawaii there is also a captive dolphin encounter program which is suitable for children, those who are physically challenged, or otherwise uncomfortable in the open ocean. This provides education and intimate contact with the dolphins in a controlled environment, however behaviors (touching the dolphin) encouraged in that situation would never be appropriate in the wild.It's important to note that in the United States, human-dolphin interaction is in jeopardy. Because of the thoughtlessness of a few, National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed legislation which would either outlaw or restrict our ability to swim with dolphins in the wild. For many years, Hawaii's eco-tour operators and guides have worked as a community to self-regulate their activities in a way that provides for the optimal experience for the visitor and also honors and protects the dolphins and their habitat. We support programs that foster awareness.
Travelers visiting Hawaii have an opportunity to leave behind their everyday concerns and allow themselves to feel the elements; lush, tropical earth teasing the senses with exotic fragrance, ocean waves washing over rock and sand, wind rustling in the palm trees, sunshine and unforgettable sunsets. This is what renews and revitalizes the essential self, and is the true meaning of "re-creation".
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