Newsletter Spring 2008
Greetings to you from all of us at The Dolphin Connection! Our 2008 is shaping up to being a very exciting year. We wish you well for all the plans and developments in your life.
Here are some brief news items about what we are up to, the growth and development of the company and the new holidays we are offering for 2008 and special discount offers. We will be giving you information about conservation campaigns, educational and creative ventures and how we are working to create a more responsible tourism and the practices in the Azores.
International Dolphin Conference
May 10th - 13th Dingle Bay Ireland
www.irishdolphins.com/conference
This is an international conference in supporrt of interactive dolphins worldwide. It is being held in a beautiful venue overlooking Dingle Bay where the much loved dolphin Funghi still lives after 24 years and interracts with the boats and the people who visit. Amanda Stafford form The Dolphin Connection will be presenting about guidelines for swimming with wild dolphns in the Azores.
Come and learn more from experts about swimming with dolphins. It will be a very special event.
Refer a friend and get a 10% discount.
If you personally introduce someone you know to us and they book a holiday, you can receive a 10% discount on the cost of the holiday you have booked with us or the equivalent as a cashback to you. Just send them the link to our website and if they book we will honour this with a financial arrangement directly to you. This offer does not apply to friends or families coming together in one booking.
Carbon offsetting: Tree planting in the Azores
Forests are large carbon dioxide consumers, which they transform into food (glucose) and oxygen by the photosynthesis process... Under the aegis of UNESCO, through the countryside of the UNEP "Plant for the planet", The Dolphin Connection is committing itself to plant a tree from 2008 on, for each visitor who comes on our holiday. Approximately 5 000 seedlings of Laurisilva (see photo) the endemic vegetation of the Azores will be available, so that you may plant, and admire in a few years or quite simply leave for the future generations. So that the 5 000 emerald colours which cover the islands from the Azores continue to reflect the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean.... Even the whales will be bluer.
KIDS STUFF
Get your dolphin diploma certificate!!!
WDCS ( Whale and dolphin conservation society ) has made 2008 The Year of the Dolphin and there is a quiz and art task you can participate in and get your very own dolphin diploma. You will be sent a certificate. This is the highest paper qualification available in the dolphin world!!! www.yod2007.org/en/Join_in/Dolphin_Diploma_KIDS/index.html
Creating a lifesize blue whale
We are working in collaboration with: www.whaleofatime.org Our plan is to bring together a group of people to create a life size blue whale which should cause quite a sensation! Watch this space or one a bit bigger!! A selection of your dolphin art that impresses us and the overall winner will be published in an on line exhibition with a prize to the winner!!
In Schools project
The Dolphin Connection team are now visiting local schools to offer presentations about marine life, especially dolphins and whales. Our aim is to inspire the children with some lovely visual images and stories from our time in the ocean. The teachers welcome our contribution.
It is proving a fun way to learn and we encourage a lot of creativity from the kids thru art, writing and talking about what they are learning. Through this celebration and appreciation of the beauty of our natural environment the children are also learning what preserves the natural balance of life and the interconnectedness of all living things.
Campaigns and raising awareness
Here are some links with other conservation projects.
You may like to get some of the latest information on conservation initiatives and see what you can do.
IDW www.idw.org/
The Marine Connection www.marineconnection.org
WDCS www.wdcs.org/
Guest Photo of the year 2007
This photo was taken by one of our guests Andrew Palmer in August 2007
Also our favourite photograph from one of the skippers is this dolphin baby by Pedro Madruga ( sent as attachment ) Anyway wishing you the very best and we welcome your comments on the new site. Hope you can join us on a holiday if you have not been yet and if you have, you are welcome to come again!!
With Dolphin Delight from The Dolphin Connection team
