"A toque.What do you think it is?"Riley was genuinely confused.How did he not know what a toque was?
"Toque?Is that an island word?"Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.
Riley burst out laughing."A toque is the proper Canadian word for this," she said, pointing to the hat on her head."You, my American friend, call it a beanie.But that's lame.Now, tour or gear?I'm good with either."
"Tour first, then gear.And after that, I'm getting myself a toque!"Gray chuckled and followed Riley along the docks.She wasn't at all what he'd expected, but he was already looking forward to working with her.
Chapter 17
Tour
Astheywalkedalongthe docks, Gray was in awe.The facility was much larger than he had expected, and every few steps another dolphin would jump up to greet them.Riley was clearly in her element as she guided him around.
"We've got 16 dolphins here, and the lagoon covers almost 10 acres," she pointed to the distant rocky wall that surrounded the area.Gray noted how far away the back side of the Lagoon seemed, much larger than he'd imagined from the pictures he'd seen in the industry magazines.
"I'm not sure if you got all the dolphins' profiles, but four of the dolphins, including your welcoming committee Abaco and Anejo, are former Navy dolphins.Three are former movie dolphins, and three are from another facility that shut down, so we took them in.And the rest of the rascals were born here."As they walked along the docks, dolphins were following along underwater watching them, or popping their heads up and squawking as they passed them.
"I got their profiles, but honestly I couldn't wrap my head around all the info.It was like reading the cast of a soap opera!I did laugh pretty hard when I read I think his name is Cooper, is the father of most of the dolphins born here.Sounds like a real charmer for your lady dolphins."Cooper was charming, and Gray would soon see firsthand how much drama these dolphins could create every day.
"There are floating docks in each ocean pen, and the big dock up ahead is where the tourists come to meet the dolphins."As they approached the long wooden dock, he could see an enormous structure up ahead that looked like a giant treehouse on massive sturdy stilts.When they walked up the sloping ramp, Gray realized it served both as a lookout over the facility and a shaded refuge from the sun.
"What's the giant floating platform for?"Gray asked, gesturing to the massive platform secured to a series of smaller docks below.He noticed a sunken section of the dock under the observation tower they were now standing on, and it had ladders down both sides.
"When tourists come, they sit around the three sides, and a trainer stands on the sunken platform with one or two dolphins.The dolphins can swim in from anywhere under the dock, and guests wade in to meet them.The water's about waist-deep, so it's good for both humans and dolphins."She pointed to a small boat tied near the large platform."That tiny skiff is what we used to train the dolphins to follow a boat, practice emergency recall, and learn to surf in the wake while in the facility's safety.Once they're superb, we take them over there."
Riley walked to the opposite side of the observation tower and pointed to a canal, where larger boats docked."We begin in the canal and gradually work our way out to the ocean.Eight of the 16 dolphins are fully trained to go out, and three more are in training.It can take a long time, sometimes a year, but it's the reason I've wanted researchers here.We can work with the dolphins in this enormous facility and still have the advantage of open ocean access.Few places can do that, so thank you."She looked at him earnestly, and Gray's heart skipped a beat.
"Oh, of course, you're welcome," he stammered, taken aback."Wait, why are you thanking me?I should be the one thanking you.I'm beyond grateful you all took a chance on me.There are so many more qualified researchers out there, but you brought me here.I'm not used to being in the spotlight, but I think this will shine on all of us, and I'm okay with that."Gray offered her a smile.
Riley nodded and walked back to the edge, where the observation tower overlooked the tourist platform.She sat down, her long, tanned legs dangling over the side.Gray noticed for the first time that she wasn't wearing sandals.He sat down beside her, unsure if he'd said something wrong.
"Can I tell you something?"she asked quietly, still staring out at the lagoon.A few dolphins were cruising in the distance, their smooth bodies gliding along the surface.
"Of course.We're going to be working together for the next month, so I hope you feel you can tell me anything."Gray waited, but Riley continued to gaze at the water.
"When we met at the conference last year, I was considering leaving here," she admitted, her voice steady."I had a few secret interviews lined up and even met with researchers interested in being my advisor for a Master's program."She took a deep breath before turning to face him."But when you spoke with Cam and me, my first thought was, 'Holy cow, this guy could be the answer to what I've been trying to get started here.'I came here three years ago because it was the coolest place I'd ever seen.Dolphins that go out into the ocean every day?I was hooked.But I've spent those years struggling to get even one researcher to come here."Her eyes locked on his with an intensity that took him by surprise.He barely knew her, but he sensed her strength.
"I'm not following.Why wouldn't someone come here?It's incredible," Gray said, genuinely puzzled."Seeing the setup in person, I'm excited about future projects."He hoped her thoughts of leaving were in the past.
Pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged, she asked, "When did you get funding?"Gray saw the flash of colour on her ankle and assumed it was a tattoo, but he didn't get a good look.
"It was months ago!I was getting worried," he admitted, then paused, the realization dawning on him."Hold on, so the other projects failed due to..."
"Yes," she said, with a sad smile gracing her face."When we'd get an exciting proposal, we'd collaborate with the researcher and funders, get everything approved...and then wait for permits from the island.The delays caused the funding agencies to pull out because it took too long."She glanced down at the dock as the dolphins that had been cruising earlier swam closer, inspecting the platform.Riley waved at them with a smile returning to her face.Gray already knew he wanted to see that smile more often.
"They're gorgeous.Who are they?"Gray asked, leaning over the railing.The dolphins rolled onto their backs, wiggling playfully in the water."And what are they doing?"
Riley said with a laugh, "That's Shiloh and Phoenix.They're scratching their backs on the platform; sometimes they get a buildup of dead skin cells, and if it doesn't sluff off they go finding a great place to scratch the itch themselves."She leaned over, watching as they finished and glided away.
"Wow.I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing them up close like this," Gray said, still in awe."Honestly, I was losing hope too.But then Cam came through, and everything fell into place so quickly.None of this would happen without his hard work, and yours.We're going to accomplish amazing things together.And if you ever want to revisit the idea of doing a Master's, I'm your guy."
"I might take you up on that," she replied."And so you know, I'm not going anywhere.I wanted you to understand how much this means to me, especially since, well, I wasn't exactly the friendliest this morning."She playfully punched his arm and stood up."You're trusting us to help you reach your goals, and we're ready for it.We need people like you who have the patience to deal with all the red tape."
"Patience?That's definitely not my strong suit!"Gray said with a chuckle, and they both laughed.He could already tell that he and Riley were going to get along great.
"Let's finish the tour, and if you could not mention what I said about leaving, I'd appreciate it.I wanted you to understand how happy I am that you're here."Riley said, "And Marta and Cici have something fun planned for you as part of our apology tour!"As they both turned to the ramp and walked back towards the office.
Chapter 18
