DOLPHIN Quest opened in Bermuda ten years ago. It was a new concept for the island, an opportunity for regular interaction at close proximity between people and dolphins. Created by two veterinarians, Dr. Jay Sweeney and Dr. Rae Stone, its mission is "to touch hearts and minds through fun, innovative experiences that create a connection to nature and a passion to learn more".

DOLPHIN Quest Bermuda opened in 1996. With locations in Hawaii and the South Pacific, its founders Jay Sweeney and Rae Stone were eager to share their dolphin experiences with America's eastern seaboard. Bermuda provided that opportunity and the facility was established in a similar fashion as the original Dolphin Quest, at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii's Big Island.

"The idea came about in 1988 with two marine mammal veterinarians," explained Christine Mihelcic, the facility's general manager.

"They decided that this would be a really cool idea, to be able to share the insight and allow others into this world. Using the dolphin as a way to allow people to understand and respect animals in the wild and how we can obviously assist with that."

Typically, the organisation partners itself with a hotel. For that reason, Dolphin Quest was first associated with the Fairmont Southampton Princess.

"Our first property was in Hawaii and it was the Hilton," the general manager said. "We are still there. In 1996 Dolphin Quest Bermuda came on board.

"We partnered with the Fairmont Southampton Princess for several years and then Dolphin Quest moved to the (Bermuda) Maritime Museum in 1999, after Hurricane Gert. This was our safe haven and it has proved to be very successful."

Thus what began as a temporary arrangement is now a permanent one and Dolphin Quest is now collaborating with the Bermuda Government in order to extend its Dockyard facilities. "This is now our full-time home. We have Planning permission to have an extended habitat of 2.6 acres outside the gates here. We're working right now with the Bermuda Government to see how we can work alongside their initiative of the extended cruise ship arm.

"It's obviously a mutually-beneficial opportunity where we can have more space for the dolphins. It will enhance the space that they have here.

"(The current) space meets and exceeds the regulations that we have. We currently have eight Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and we have entered into agreement with the Government that we will not exceed 12.

"This space here actually can accommodate upwards of 15 based on the regulations. The extension is really an enhancement. Our owners love natural environments and that's why this place has been great for us."

An additional benefit at Dockyard is that it provides a relatively calm area during hurricanes and tropical storms.

"It's also a safe haven. For instance, during Fabian we didn't lose electricity, we didn't lose internet capability. Actually our team likes to be up here during storms because it's probably the safest place on island with the fort walls."

Their proximity to the Bermuda Maritime Museum offered the chance for a unique partnership which both institutions have benefited from. "We now partner with the Maritime Museum. This place has been enriching not only for the animals but for the public as well. It's become more of a local opportunity.

"We do get a lot of people within Bermuda, adopting the dolphins as their own. So we have a lot of people, for instance, who participate in the naming of the dolphins.

"We do have three pregnant moms right now. We have had five successful births up here at the Maritime Museum. So this place has obviously been quite enriching for them, if you want to use that as your gauge."

Ms Mihelcic said the area was both "enriching" and "comfortable", and that such qualities had warmed the local population to it.

"The location is within a local heritage site. The Bermuda Maritime Museum is absolutely phenomenal. All the work they've done around here. So we're within local culture. (Also), just the physical layout. You are so close to the dolphins. We get a lot of people who have had memberships to the Maritime Museum come up. Kids love it just to sit along the side because the dolphins do get so incredibly close to you — you don't have that experience probably anywhere else in the world."PART of the Dolphin Quest mandate is to give back to the community it operates in. As such, the local facility is very committed to contributing to Bermuda. "One of our missions is to give back, to touch hearts and minds through fun, innovative experiences. Those experiences do not need to be in water. We have several students who have come up here — over 3,000 this year — who were able to share a little bit of our world. "So there is more of that connection at this location, is our feeling. (The previous location) was just a different environment. This one, we have captured, I believe, the hearts and minds of the local community and they really have embraced us." Asked for her reaction to those persons who didn't believe it right to showcase mammals and their learned talents, Ms Mihelcic (pictured above) said she did not think such an opinion would be expressed about Dolphin Quest.

"I don't shy away from addressing that as a concern. I think the concern, in my opinion, is for the animals' health and wellbeing. And we take health and wellbeing extremely seriously.

"We're owned, first of all, by the two marine mammal veterinarians (and we ensure the same) care that they have for the animals and the care that they take with the animals.

"(Our dolphins) are currently in human care. In order to sustain this population, we need to ensure that we continue to grow this population so this population doesn't become extinct.

"The benefits of having this population in human care? It helps us to protect the ones that are in the wild. We really do participate in education, in conservation and (we care for their) health.

"I think it's because we have those three elements as our focus, (combined with the fact that) we welcome any and all people to come up and ensure that we continue doing them, people are comfortable with what we do."

She added that the facility offered a lot more than the opportunity to play in the water with the dolphins. "I think the one thing that's neat. And this is something that's interesting about not only Dolphin Quest, but the hospitality industry in general — of which we are a part.

"We all contribute to the larger, Bermuda experience. With that said, Dolphin Quest is really committed to assisting with the diversity of jobs that are available — for instance, we take part in career fairs. Dolphin Quest is not only the in-water experience, it's providing an opportunity for (different skill sets). For instance, we have a professional photographer who's on site.

"Obviously all of our trainers have studied psychology. We have people who ensure the facility is taken care of. We do have a lot of opportunity outside of just the trainers, for individuals interested in employment as well."

Dolphin Quest had seen several highlights over the last decade, Ms Mihelcic said.

"I think one of the greatest highlights is the opportunity for us to truly embrace the communities we go to through education and through research — we've done a research project here of the local population. It had never been done before and there really isn't any information on Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins.

"Publication of that was huge for us. Within the world itself we did make strides with Bermuda being the lead in that area.

"We're very proud of the education we give back, the conservation efforts that we participate in. We would like to believe that we are part of what makes Bermuda special and why people want to come to Bermuda."