The Journey That Began with Surrender
I took a deep breath and slipped beneath the turquoise waters over a shallow coral reef when, out of nowhere, an entire pod of dolphins approached from behind. They surrounded me, placing me right in the center of the pod. They were below me, above me, to my left and my right. It felt magical.
Dolphins, they come to me
I gradually adjusted my swimming until every movement became unnecessary. Eventually, I stopped moving altogether and simply floated, while the current created by the pod carried me effortlessly forward. I was in awe. It felt as though I had become a single cell within one vast living organism, moving in perfect harmony with everything around it. It was an extraordinary experience.
Then, suddenly, something bumped into my leg. For a split second, I panicked, thinking I had hit the coral formation—it felt surprisingly hard. But then I realized I was nowhere near the bottom. The only thing that could possibly have touched my leg was a dolphin.
It remains one of my most beautiful encounters with dolphins, among many. Every experience with them carries its own unique vibration. This one was a confirmation, felt in every cell of my body, that we are all one. I had believed this idea for a long time without ever truly feeling it. I first experienced that sense of oneness during a sacred medicine ceremony, but never before in a completely sober state—and never in a way quite like this.
When Life Begins to Whisper
So, how did I end up swimming with dolphins in the first place?
It was 2024, just one week before my flight to the USA. I was about to start packing for my three-month job as the Riding Director at a summer camp—a job I absolutely loved. The program was incredible, a dream come true. Every summer, I got to live one of my life’s purposes, and it became such a big part of who I was that I measured my years as “before America” and “after America,” rather than by New Year’s.
Sara dancing with the dolphins
So, to my surprise, I got sick. Literally, every time I tried to walk into the room to start packing, I felt like I was going to throw up. My body was giving me such obvious signs that I couldn’t ignore them. So I said out loud, as if my body were another person:
“Okay, I get it. You don’t want to go there anymore. But this year we’re definitely going. The flight is only one week away, and there’s no way we’re backing out now. But I understand. This should be the last time… But then what?”
The question came from a very honest place, mixed with a little panic, because I had planned my entire year around this job. I had worked so hard to get there, and I truly loved it. And now I had to let it all go? Why? And what would come next? Then a voice answered: “Let go and surrender.”
I know that sounds crazy. But I believe we’ve been conditioned to disconnect from this kind of communication with our higher self—the Universe, God, or whatever name resonates with you. The message was incredibly strong. It felt like a guarantee. There wasn’t a single doubt in my body; every part of me recognized it as the truth.
My mind immediately jumped ahead. “I want this to be the best summer I’ve ever had,” I thought. “But if it’s even better than I imagined, how will I ever be able to let it go?” The voice came again, calm but firm: “Now you have clarity. Now you make the decision, and you stand by it. That’s it.” So I said, “Okay.” The sickness disappeared, and I packed without any problem.
That summer turned out to be the best one yet. It was the perfect combination of an incredible team, my own growth as a leader after years of experience, and the trust and opportunities my director gave me. When it was finally time to say goodbye, my director looked at me with a bright smile and asked, “You’ll be back next year, right?” I had to disappoint her. She looked confused, and I told her how deeply grateful I was for everything she had done for me. But I knew it was time for a new chapter.
The Courage to Surrender
It was the first time in my life that I walked away from a job I truly loved—with no Plan B. Just that quiet voice telling me to trust and surrender to the unknown. Whenever fear and anxiety crept in, I stood tall. I breathed through it and returned to the feeling I had when that voice first revealed its mysterious plan. That feeling made me feel safe, leaving no room for doubt or fear.
Retreat with dolphins is where we reconnect with ourselves
When I returned to Slovenia, I set off on my traditional trip around my beautiful home country. One day, while scrolling through my phone, I saw a post advertising a last-minute opportunity to swim with dolphins. It had been reposted by a woman I didn’t particularly resonate with, so I kept scrolling, thinking, “I’m not sharing this. I don’t want someone else to take my spot.”
Then that familiar voice came again, loud and clear: “If you don’t do anything, nothing will happen. So I went back and called. The woman on the other end was another guest who had accidentally bought two flight tickets without realizing it. She only discovered the mistake three weeks before departure. The organizer had opened up one additional spot on the trip so she could find someone to buy the extra ticket from her.
The moment she said that, I knew. This was meant to be. The angels had arranged it, and there was no turning back. So I simply said, “Yes. I’m all in.” She sounded shocked and immediately started explaining, “It’s a two-week trip. We leave in a week. It’s a lot of money…” I stopped her and smiled. “It’s okay,” I said. “I’m all in—whatever it takes.”
So I decided to make my childhood dream come true, even though I knew many people—including my own family—would probably think I was crazy, or even be disappointed that I wasn’t investing my money in something “more important,” like a new car or whatever society tells us we need in order to be successful, smart, or safe.
…but at that point, I didn’t care. I knew it was my life, and I had to take responsibility for knowing what was best for me.
When a Childhood Dream Becomes Reality
Sara in a magical world
Fast forward to two weeks after that conversation, when we entered Sataya. The place is pure magic, and I couldn’t wait to jump into those turquoise waters when they gave us the signal that we were going to swim with the dolphins.
When I jumped in from the small boat—the Zodiac, as we call it—and saw the dolphins, I became one of them. I saw only them. I swam with them, so close I could have kissed them. They looked me in the eyes, invited me to play, swam with their bellies facing me, and gave me more than I could ever have imagined during those two days.
The funny part is that, on one hand, I never would have dared to dream of having such encounters with wild dolphins. But once I was actually living that experience, it felt so natural that I wasn’t over the moon. I simply came out of the water and casually asked, “What are we having for lunch today?” It wasn’t until the third day, when we shared our experiences and the others told me they had been watching me swim and play with the dolphins, that I realized nothing about this was normal.
Finding Home in the Blue
After that week, everything became clear—that was it. I received so many visions, so many ideas, that it often became overwhelming. I had to consciously remind myself: step by step, patience, and trust.
Less than a month after coming home, I returned to Egypt to make connections and find a boat I could work with in the future. This time I spent three weeks in Sataya. Uf… it felt so much like home that I cried like a baby when I had to leave. Coming home was even harder—from that paradise to the grey, depressing winter, where everything suddenly felt like a dream.
There are so many moments that are impossible to describe—you truly have to experience them.
When a dolphin looks you in the eyes, you feel so deeply seen. They remind us that we are worthy simply because we exist.
Sara dancing with the dolphins at Sataya retreat
When they invite you to dance with them, to play with them, and when they’re even a little “jealous,” as if to say, *”Hey, that’s my human.” When a mother introduces you to her baby and allows the little one to come close, be curious, and play with you.
They are incredibly considerate. If I couldn’t dive down with them, they would come back up and play with me on the surface. They circled around me—sometimes slowly, sometimes so fast that I could barely keep up.
Seeing them mate or breastfeed their babies without any shame, right in front of me, made me realize how complicated we humans have become.
They radiate pure joy and love. So many people ask me, “Aren’t you afraid?” and that question always confuses me. Afraid of what? There isn’t even one percent aggression in those angels of the sea. It’s like asking, “Are you afraid of a flower?”
Lessons from the Sea
Where wonders happen
They remind us of who we truly are—that we are worthy exactly as we are, that we are all connected. They show us what healthy boundaries look like and that it’s okay to have them.
One of the most extraordinary experiences for me was the feeling of settling into their rhythm. It is such a beautiful moment when they accept you as one of them and allow you to come as close as they do with other dolphins. Then they slow down until they’re almost just floating. Looking into their eyes, being surrounded by their calm presence, I could feel something changing within me.
My heartbeat slowed down. My breath became slower, calmer, deeper. It felt as if every cell in my body was gradually settling into a peace I had never experienced before. It felt like coming home within myself.
I also experienced what, to me, felt like telepathic communication with one of them. Even though I work as an animal communicator, this was on a completely different level. The exchange felt incredibly clear, and by the end of it, it was as if we had both stepped outside this world for a brief moment. There was no thinking, no words—just being. That is one story I only share in full in person, because it feels right that way.
Answering the Call
Sara swimming and dancing with the dolphins
After many obstacles, uncertainty, sacrifices, and countless hours of unpaid work, I finally brought my first group to Sataya in May 2026. I have to admit, I kept pinching myself. My inner child was in absolute awe. My personal highlights from that trip were these:
The first was simply the fact that I had done it. I had turned my vision into reality and brought my very first group to Sataya. There were so many moments when I wanted to pinch myself.
The second happened on the third day, when I saw Adam. Some people call him “the healer.” He is the leader of one of the pods and the easiest to recognize because he lost half of his dorsal fin. He hadn’t been there on the first day, and when we finally saw each other again after several months, he so clearly recognized me—and I even caught it on video! It felt like such a huge confirmation, such a beautiful welcome gift, to receive that kind of attention from him personally. It was an incredible honor.
Then came one of the most unforgettable moments. It was Thursday, and I was the last person still in the water. The dolphins were slowly saying goodbye, but I just couldn’t leave yet. Suddenly, one dolphin started swimming straight toward me, face to face. I stopped and wondered, What is he up to?
He came closer… and closer… until we were nose to nose. I’m not even sure whether he actually touched me because I was wearing my mask, but he was right there, his long rostrum just inches from my face.
I was completely blown away. As he swam away, I remember thinking, What was that? Was that a kiss? Then he turned around, came back, and did it again—as if to say, No, that wasn’t a mistake. When I finally got out of the water, my heart was beating so fast I thought it would jump out of my chest.
Where Trust Leads
Retreat is where I found myself – and so can you
After spending about eight weeks in Sataya altogether, there was only one single day when the dolphins didn’t come. And during that first retreat, something else happened for the very first time: I didn’t leave feeling hungry for more. No one had to tell me to get out of the water before I was ready. For the first time, I left Sataya with a full heart, grateful beyond words for everything I had experienced, and with a deep sense of peace, knowing that we would meet again.
If someone had told me two years earlier that one decision—to surrender instead of trying to control everything—would eventually lead me here, I wouldn’t have believed them. Yet every meaningful chapter since then began with exactly the same choice: to trust the call before I understood where it would lead.
Today, organizing retreats to Sataya has become one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Watching others experience their own moments of wonder reminds me, every single time, why I answered that call in the first place.
Foto: osebni arhiv sogovornice
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