CubaPLUS Magazine

Valentina is a feminine name from the Latin, Valentinus, which means person, brave, sociable, vigorous, active and today's history has a lot to do with those meanings, since the patronymic is carried by a beautiful dolphin who lives happily in the dolphinarium of Cayo Coco.

In a recent visit to that facility, belonging to the Gaviota group, regarding the recently ended FITCuba 2024 International Tourism Fair, we learned about the beautiful story of a dolphin that lives there: Valentina, saved thanks to the care and dedication of the doctors of Cayo Santa María dolphinarium, on the northern coast of the province of Villa Clara.

About 12 years ago, Valentina was rescued from a pack where she was being attended by specialists from the Cayo Santa María dolphinarium. She had a big shark bite on her back, completely open, infested and in a terrible condition.

The doctors treated her patiently, cured her and managed to save her. She however has a condition: total loss of vision in the right eye, but that does not prevent her from swimming and doing the delights of those who today visit Cayo Coco, in the Jardines del Rey archipelago, where she lives at her ease with her little one, named Lucas.

According to the information offered by the doctor at the Cayo Coco dolphinarium, Oscar González, Valentina is an extremely good and special animal, as her firstborn is explosive, but at the same time noble. It can be said that Lucas is much more vigorous, since his jumps exceed the altitude of those of his progenitor and is capable of walking 45 km, as do dolphins that live completely free, explained the specialist.

Valentina and Lucas belong to the species Tursiops truncatus, bottlenose, typical of the Cuban coasts, is one of the best known, because its sociable nature and intelligence, they become the star of the shows.

In Cayo Coco, they practically live in freedom, since it is a totally natural place, where only the fence was lifted and all the organisms that live in places can be found, totally natural like the anemones that fundamentally abound in the tropical waters in coastal areas, Gonzalez clarified.

If you like dolphins and interacting with them, we recommend a visit to Cayo Coco, where Valentina and Lucas will make you enjoy a beautiful day and, in addition, you have the possibility of an exquisite seafood lunch, among other gastronomic offers. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/delfinariocayococo/about.