Reese Channels Theresa

He doesn't know it, but his grandma surfed mangrove pieces too!

Each and every animal that calls Dolphin Research Center their forever home is showered with an abundance of love. Whether they’re with us for their entire lifetime or have been brought here for a variety of other reasons, they are all family members. Each one deserves to be honored in a unique way. When Reese was born, we wanted to give a tribute to his grandmother, Theresa, with a name that could carry on the family legacy.

When we tell stories about Theresa, a memory that sticks out is mangroves. Theresa was known for balancing mangrove pods on her melon. It was a game that she’d spend hours playing. It seems that this trait is genetic because Reese does the baby dolphin version.

While his mom, Santini, plays with people in interactive sessions, Reese explores. Recently, we’ve seen him surf leaves on his head. Since this is something his grandmother engaged in frequently you can only imagine our excitement when Reese began emulating her behavior – even though they never had a chance to meet. Cameras turned to snap a photo so that we could share it with the staff members at DRC.

Seeing dolphins who once called DRC home reflected in their children and grandchildren brings warmth to our hearts. Hopefully Reese has more of his Grandmother Theresa’s dolphinality.