Living Dreams: Duisburg Dolphins

Living Dreams: Duisburg Dolphins

I have spent the last few days with my sister as she came to visit me here in Dusseldorf. It’s been really nice and kind of surreal her being here. We got to go to Japan day and watch the Japanese Fireworks, then we had a lazy Sunday and today we went to Duisburg Zoo.

After undergoing a bit of research I discovered that Duisburg Zoo in fact had dolphins. Ever since I was really little I have been fascinated and obsessed with these animals, just like a lot of people. I find them magical. I was lucky enough to catch sight of them in the wild in Wales when they came into the harbour and from then on I hoped to see them again and again but I was never so lucky. I guess everyone has their favourite animal; some people like lions, dogs, monkeys and bears. For me, it’s dolphins.

Today I was lucky enough to see them really close at the zoo and watch them perform.  People have different opinions on keeping dolphins in captivity and I guess I do to an extent however they looked so happy. They pressed their faces up against the glass and frolicked about playfully, showing off to the audience even before the show had begun. They are incredibly intelligent animals and that’s evident through the way they responded to the keeper. I was just excited as all the school children, smiling as they jumped high and wowing at their elegance as they swam through the water. I sat there secretly wishing, okay not even secretly, just wishing that I could be the little girl in the boat getting pulled by a dolphin. Moments like that make the fact that I'm twenty really upsetting. I wish I was Peter Pan sometimes. It really was a-dream-come-true and I seem to be fulfilling a lot of them during my time here. 

However, not only did I get to see Bottlenose dolphins, I also got to see an Amazon River Dolphin. They are extremely endangered so I can only guess that it was rescued, but whatever happened it's extremely far away from it's other-side-of-the-world habitat. These dolphins are grey and pink, they have different shaped noses from Bottlenoses but are still just as beautiful. Me and my sister stood watching it swim around for ages. It looked a little lonely on it's own and it was very damaged, I'm guessing it got pretty hurt in the wild. It was an amazing thing to see though. I highly recommend if you're in Northern Germany that you visit this Zoo!

You know when little things just make you happy? This is one of them. It may sound really silly but it really has been something I've wanted to do for ages and finally I've been able to. I never ever thought I’d have the chance to see them this close or watch them perform tricks. It was breath-taking. I’m really such a sucker for a dolphin. My room back home is filled with dolphin themed objects. This is just one example of how coming to Germany has opened doors to opportunities I wouldn’t have had in the UK. I am honestly loving every second of it. I can’t believe I ever doubted whether I’d enjoy my time here.

The fun doesn’t stop there. I go to Amsterdam tomorrow. Although I am slightly anxious about the hostel, at the same time I am extremely excited – especially to see Harley (my friend from back home in Essex). So I guess now today is over, bring on tomorrow – updates real soon!

Take care,

Laura May.