Great Leaping Dolphins

One of my good friends who also worked in disability advocacy and support groups had a goal to swim with the dolphins before she passed away. She did it, as she did just about everything she set her mind to do. She felt dolphins have healing powers, not in a mystical way, but more in an empathetic way.

With that in mind, this popped up in today's news:

Disabled dolphin jumping again with world's first artificial fin

TOKYO (AFP) - Fuji, a mother dolphin that lost 75 percent of her tail due to a mysterious disease, is jumping once again with the help of what is believed to be the world's first artificial fin.

The 34-year-old dolphin held at Japan's largest aquarium in the southern island of Okinawa wears the rubber fin for about 20 minutes a day allowing her to jump and to swim at the same speed of other dolphins.

"We are very grateful. Although she can swim without the artificial fin, the speed is very slow and she certainly cannot jump without it," said Masaya Kowami, a breeder at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.

"Visitors have told us she looks happy," he said.


Fantastic, Fuji. Leap once for Glenna for me.