Swim with dolphins to share a nose-kiss with one of nature’s most precocious and interactive marine animals. If you’re holidaying by the water, it’s a must-do vacation activity.

From Los Cabos in Mexico to New Zealand’s Akaroa, the Dominican Republic’s Oceanworld to Ocho Rios in Jamaica, swimming with dolphins is a global phenomenon.

In some locations you can swim with wild dolphins, including off the coast of Australia. Most swims with wild dolphins are hands-off encounters, but at Monkey Mia on the Western Australian coast, wild bottlenose dolphins have been visiting the beach every day for the past few years to interact and swim with humans.

Around the globe, aquariums and water parks offer swimming with tame dolphins, with a choice of interactive programs that allow you to share handshakes, kisses and strokes. And if you’re really interested in getting to know dolphins, you can spend the day working as a trainer with a marine professional at a dolphin center.

Qualified, eco-certified operators have developed a rapport with the dolphins, and know where to take you for your once-in-a-lifetime dolphin encounter. Well-organized reputable tours provide all the necessary snorkel gear, as well as refreshments, commentary, assistance and wildlife information.

Most programs require that you can swim, and snorkel lessons can be provided if you’re a novice. There are some age and health restrictions, and tours can also be dependent on good weather, calm seas and clear visibility.

Swim with dolphin programs can also involve up-close encounters with sea lions, seals, manatees, stingrays or sharks.