Hawk's Cay doubles as a dolphin-training center, providing for the amusement of hotel guests, and the dolphin encounter is the most arcane ritual of all.

Discovery Cove itself lists a staff of 70 trainers, and new trainers undertake a yearlong apprenticeship before they are allowed to direct a dolphin encounter.

The first account of a solitary dolphin encounter since classical times seems to be in England in 1814.

Snorkel packages include two snorkel boat trips daily and a dolphin encounter.

The second dolphin encounter comes a little farther down the island chain, at the nonprofit Dolphin Research Center in Marathon Shores.

This dolphin encounter is .

The island is used as a station for trained dolphin encounters, and there are docks for this purpose on a inland cove which is accessed by the sea.

T'lion, the young Eastern Weyr dragonrider of Bronze Gadareth, also develops an interest after being involved in an early dolphin encounter.

Bermuda-bound travelers who are looking for something beyond golf, tennis and beachcombing may want to consider a new feature at the Southampton Princess resort: dolphin encounters.

Money from our dolphin encounters is helping develop diagnostic procedures to detect marine toxins in patients - allowing earlier and more effective treatment.