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FLORIDA KEYS - For years, guests visiting Hawk's Cay Resort created magical memories by participating in the Dolphin Connection programs. Designed to inspire awareness and promote conservation, the programs, the only offered on property at a U.S. resort, provide an up-close encounter with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. The enhanced Dolphin Discovery program gives guests the opportunity to interact directly in the resort's natural saltwater lagoon with resident dolphins. Guests swim with the dolphins and learn about dolphin behavior and the importance of the Florida Keys marine ecosystem. Hawk's Cay Resort's Dolphin Connection also features a Trainer for a Day program. This is an in-depth behind the scenes look into the daily activities of the Dolphin Connection's trainers. The program is designed to give participants an up-close and personal experience by providing hands-on opportunities. Participants have the unique experience to actually be a dolphin trainer. At the end of the three-hour session, participants receive a certificate, a complimentary photo of their experience and a t-shirt. The Dockside Dolphin program gives guests of all ages an opportunity to explore the dolphins' world from dry docks as skilled trainers introduce participants to the dolphins. Advance reservations are recommended for all Dolphin Connection programs. Only two slots are available each day for the Trainer for a Day program. Some restrictions, including age and height requirements, apply for the various programs. The Dolphin Connection was formed in 1990 under the direction of the Chicago Zoological Society to assist with international research efforts. At that time, Hawk's Cay Resort was designated as a satellite research facility for bottlenose dolphins. Since its inception, the Dolphin Connection has won two international awards - one for the educational focus on the Florida Keys ecosystem and the other for advances in reproduction work with bottlenose dolphins. In its first five years, the Dolphin Connection celebrated the birth of seven dolphin calves - accomplishing the mission of the program. Doug and Cheryl Messinger, a husband and wife marine biologist team who supervised the program for the Chicago Zoological Society, decided to continue the tradition of the Dolphin Connection by assuming operation of the program in 1996. Today, the Dolphin Connection continues to focus on research and environmental education as well as building cooperative relationships with zoos and aquariums around the country. Hawk's Cay is a 60-acre island resort located 90 miles south of Miami and 60 miles north of Key West, Fla. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, the resort offers a variety of accommodations including waterfront deluxe hotel rooms, suites, and two- and three-bedroom villas. The resort features a full-service marina, nature-oriented kids program, full-service spa, recreation center for teenagers, saltwater lagoon, five swimming pools and eight tennis courts. Along with an exclusive dolphin interaction program, Hawk's Cay offers scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing school, sunset cruises, fishing excursions, parasailing and private boat charters.