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.
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This is a huge rave not only for the Dolphin Island Tour, but also for Viator.com itself! I called with a few questions and concerns. The viator representative I spoke to didn't know the answer, but three way called Punta Cana to find out the information for me before booking. They were nothing but pleasant and everything was exactly as it should've been.
As for the Dolphin Island Tour, it was fantastic. You can tell all the trainers are passionate about what they do and treat the dolphins with the utmost respect and care which was a huge concern of mine. The bus ride was long though. Not gonna lie, the bus ride was about an hour and a half since we stopped at several different resorts to pick up guests. It was okay though since the shuttle was free, I couldn't complain too much. Everything was very clean and new and safe. You get to spend about 1/2 hour in the water with the dolphins in total though. We had about 15 minutes of swimming with the sharks and sting rays and then went over to start our dolphin tour. So "half-day" is mostly referring to the bus ride and waiting around on the beach, which is fine, since they had drinks and snacks available. Sodas were free, alcohol was extra- I think $2 for a bottle.
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Oh, this has been something I have wanted to do my whole life. I loved it, my husband and I fell in love with the dolphin, they are so smart, gentle and precious. We will be doing this again, thank everyone at Dolphin Encounter for precious memories we will never forget.
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