Kelly Ripa Recalls Jumping Off a Boat Thinking She Could Speak 'Fluently' to Dolphins

Mar. 15, 2025

Kelly Ripa.Photo:Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Kelly Ripaonce tried to bridge the gap between man and dolphin!

On Tuesday, Aug. 27, theLive!host revealed that she once believed she could speak to dolphins during a trip to Mexico for a friend’s birthday celebration. While discussing recent technological developments with animal communication with husband and co-hostMark Consuelos, Ripa opened up about the moment she channeled her inner Dr. Dolittle.

“We were doing a taped piece where we communicate with the dolphins. So I, Kelly Ripa, jump into the water and I go, ‘I know how to talk to the dolphins!’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to call them over!’ " she joked.

Kelly Ripa (left) and Mark Consuelos in 2023.Roy Rochlin/Getty

Roy Rochlin/Getty

“Our friend Brian was standing on the bow of the boat and he’s going, ‘Kel, get back in the boat. Those are wild dolphins, those aren’t trained dolphins,’ " she continued. “But, in my mind, I thought I could talk to the dolphins because I’d spoken so fluently to them.”

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Ripa’s aquatic admission comes shortly after she wasnamed a Disney Legendat the D23 Fan Convention in Anaheim, Calif. on Aug. 11.

While speaking with Disney CEOBob Igeron herLet’s Talk Off Camerapodcast, the longtime talk show host admitted she was shocked to learn that she was being honored with the title. The Disney Legend is an honor bestowed on individuals who have significantly influenced the company.

Kelly Ripa.The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company

“Again, [it was] one of the moments where I thought Deborah OConnell wasplaying an April Fools' prank on me,” Ripa admitted before asking, “Why me? You needed a real person in there to sort of stabilize. There’s a lot of greatness, but then they’re like, ‘Okay. How do we honor regular people? Kelly?’ "

Noting how “Disney Legends is basically the equivalent of Disney Hall of Fame,” Iger assured Ripa that her award was well-deserved. He explained that her achievements in television, like her time onAll My Childrenand hostingLive!“have contributed mightily, not just to our success, but to what we represent to the world.”

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“Ultimately, I approve this list,” he continued. “And, actually, I thought, well, why didn’t we think of that earlier? You actually have been worthy for a while. And I think it it speaks volumes about not only you, but the show too that you’ve been on now for so long and that we value.““It’s not just sitting in a chair and saying good morning every morning,” he added, explaining that the accolade was bestowed for “who you are and what you represent.”

source: people.com