And they're off! The first race of the day begins at 12:30 p.m., sending hundreds of newly adopted dolphins down the racecourse. Prizes await the winners at the derby event, which is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise.
And they're off! The first race of the day begins at 12:30 p.m., sending hundreds of newly adopted dolphins down the racecourse. Prizes await the winners at the derby event, which is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk photo

Sunday’s Dolphin Derby Festival, organized by the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise, offered a day of lively entertainment and community spirit.

Attendees watched dolphin races where miniature, multi-colored dolphins zipped down a 100-foot watercourse at Chase Palm Park.

Participants adopted these dolphins by donating to the cause and had the opportunity to win cash and other prizes if their animal was one of the first ones across the finish line.

Chris Baxter distributes another round of dolphins into the starting basin during Sunday's derby event. Each dolphin represents a $10 donation to the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise Charitable Foundation, supporting humanitarian community service projects in Santa Barbara and around the world.
Chris Baxter distributes another round of dolphins into the starting basin during Sunday’s derby event. Each dolphin represents a $10 donation to the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise Foundation, supporting community service projects in Santa Barbara and around the world. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk photo

The donations, at $10 a dolphin, support local nonprofits and international humanitarian causes, the Rotary Club said.

The festival also featured live music, a variety of food trucks, and a beer and wine garden.

Rotary Club members said the dolphins are reused each year and the race water is recycled for each race of the derby day, then used to irrigate the park’s grass.

Spectators watch as the first round of dolphins race down the course towards the end zone of Sunday's derby.
Spectators watch as the first round of dolphins race down the course towards the end zone of Sunday’s derby. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk photo
Denny the Dolphin welcomes guests as the race is about to start.
Denny the Dolphin welcomes guests as the race is about to start. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk photo
The winning dolphin from the first race of the day. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk photo
From left to right: Angelique Davis, Tina Ballue, Rotary Club President Ellen Chase, Sandra O'Meara, and Michelle Seagraves begin dolphin adoptions for the 1:30 p.m. race at Sunday's derby.
From left to right: Angelique Davis, Tina Ballue, Rotary Club President Ellen Chase, Sandra O’Meara, and Michelle Seagraves begin dolphin adoptions for the 1:30 p.m. race at Sunday’s derby. Credit: Sydney Hlavaty / Noozhawk photo