Swimming with dolphins...help please

[Kajunswty]

Looking for recommendations / experiences for swimming with dolphins. Which port did you chose this excursion? Through the ship or an independent company? Would you do it again and if so would you do anything differently?

[jimbo5544]

Looking for recommendations / experiences for swimming with dolphins. Which port did you chose this excursion? Through the ship or an independent company? Would you do it again and if so would you do anything differently?

We have done it in three ports, the best by far was Puerta Vallarta. I think they called it a dolphin encounter. We spent over a half hour in the water with them. Swam on their backs, them upside down, did tricks and more. Fantastic time.

[NeedBlueWater]

I recommend to educate yourself on swimming with captive dolphins and where the captive dolphins come from. You may have a change of heart.

[Kajunswty]

We have done it in three ports, the best by far was Puerta Vallarta. I think they called it a dolphin encounter. We spent over a half hour in the water with them. Swam on their backs, them upside down, did tricks and more. Fantastic time.

 

Thanks for the quick response jimbo

 

Did you book through CCL all 3 times? Which other ports did you try?

 

 

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[Laurab23]

I did Dolphin Quest in Bermuda.It is a little different from other ones.They try to do more educating about the dolphins and you don't ride them or anything like that.You are in the water with them and the handlers explain different things about the dolphins and show you things.You get to feed them and pet them and "dance" with them.I really enjoyed it because I learned so much about them,it was not just about swimming with them.

 

Laura

[SportsMomof4]

In the beginning of January we did the royal dolphin swim at dolphin discovery in Cozumel. It was excellent. We did book direct because it was substantially less. Now Carnival has the excursion policy. Don't know if that would work though because I believe Carnival has a contract with DD.

[Layla and Beaux]

In 2010, we did the dolphin swim and ride in Cozumel. We booked through Carnival, and the excursion was at Dolphinaris. With me was my daughter (she was 15 at the time), and my aunt, along with her two daughters (they were 12 and 14 then). We all had a great day. Getting there and back again was super easy (provided taxi that takes you directly to and from the taxi stand area), after getting off of the ship, you just wait in a group with all others that have the same excursion booked, and then a rep walks you to the taxi loading area. The actual dolphin experience was wonderful, and after, we enjoyed the cove to swim in.

 

The only two complaints I have about it are the prices for the pictures (they are through the roof expensive) and also the food (it includes food and drink, but the food was super yuck...like not good at all). With all of that being said, my daughter and I are returning there this July...this time, with my husband and three sons. We are booking this excursion because I know, without a doubt, that my boys will LOVE this experience. We have just budgeted more money this time around for the insane picture prices....and we will not even bother to eat the free food at all....we will just eat at a restaurant on the way back to the pier. :D

[obnurse]

We did it in Cozumel at Chankanaab Park. Yep, it was an experience but I will never do it again. I won't patronize exploiting those gorgeous and wonderful animals being held in captivity. I'm sorry I did it. If you have any ambivalence, watch "Black Fish". So sad.

[donaldsc]

I am going to slightly restate your question from the dolphin viewpoint - "swimming with people - how do we get out of it".

 

How do you know that the dolphins really want to swim with you. Dolphins are intelligent mammals with large brains and a highly organized social structure who are being held in captivity in small tanks and are being forced to swim with and interact with people whether they want to or not. If you can assume that they are capable of making choice decisions, I really doubt that they want to swim with you.

 

Think about it. What would you think if you were held in a cage by an intelligent civilization and were forced to perform tricks for people ogling you before you were fed.

 

DON

[notentirelynormal]

We've done it once. My daughter was newly pregnant at the time and asked at the tour desk before we booked it if it was okay and they said it was. Well, we get to the location and they tell a pregnant woman that no, she can't go in the water. They are hoping one of the dolphins will get pregnant and they don't want DD in there with them. Well, the tears start to flow. I mean, how hard is it to make a prego cry LOL. They decide to let her go in. The dolphins definitely treated her differently. They could sense that she was pregnant. Each one of them came up to her and bumped her. They would swim by the rest of us, but her, nope. They touched her every time. She started to get nervous they came to her so often. They do the thing where the dolphin comes out of the water and is right in front of you saying hi. They got very close to her. Scary close.

 

Now, the really amazing part is: my nephew is 100% deaf. We explained to the handlers that he wouldn't be able to hear them telling instructions. They said not to worry they would have a surprise for him. OMG! It was amazing. They had one of the dolphins come up to him and lie beside him and talk. The dolphin actually touched him, laying against his ear. It could sense he was different. My nephew could feel the vibrations when the dolphin spoke. He said it was an "out of the world" experience.

 

I have a friend that does professional underwater photography. He was on location filming at a place he had been the year before. They remembered him. Came over to say hi. Well, one of the newbies was being a little aggressive and my friend warned him to stay away from the baby. The guy thought, cute a baby! Well, momma, she didn't like that much and came at him. My friend told him, you're just lucky she didn't kill you because when they swim into you they can come hard. He stayed about from the baby after that LOL.

 

These are truly amazing and smart animals.

Edited January 24, 2014 by notentirelynormal

[Dayenu]

In cabo san lucas you can just walk up, this place is at the end of the pier, they give you a wet suit to put on in the restroom, you go to the 2nd floor where the pool is. Don't remember how much, you may be able to find online.

[Nitemare]

In cabo san lucas you can just walk up, this place is at the end of the pier, they give you a wet suit to put on in the restroom, you go to the 2nd floor where the pool is. Don't remember how much, you may be able to find online.

 

That sounds positively . . . uncivilized.

 

If they send the people to a bathroom to get dressed, imagine how they treat the dolphins!

 

(Dayenu means "it would have been enough", right?) It's enough.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Nitemare

[alexspepa]

In cabo san lucas you can just walk up, this place is at the end of the pier, they give you a wet suit to put on in the restroom, you go to the 2nd floor where the pool is. Don't remember how much, you may be able to find online.

 

Cabo also has the infamous lion and tiger cub photo booths - these are a hot button topic on TripAdvisor - reportedly they tranquilize the cubs and then put them down when they grow too large to "cuddle".

[Aquahound]

Would you do it again and if so would you do anything differently?

 

I did it one time when I was a kid and I loved it. But knowing what I know now about the industry, I'm disgusted by it. What I would do different is not do it.

[leaveitallbehind]

We've had experience in the past with Cozumel and Curacao, and the Curacao experience was by far the better of the two. Haven't done either, however, in recent years.

 

Different cruise lines have different policies and contracts in place with the facilities which may require you to book through the cruise lines on the days you are in a given port of call. Look on line with the ones you are interested with - they usually post their availability.

Edited January 24, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[CaroleSS]

Just so you know....if you are cruising before Feb 28, they are offering a BOGO but you'd need to book before Jan 26 (this Sunday).

[SMerritt]

I did Dolphin Quest in Bermuda.It is a little different from other ones.They try to do more educating about the dolphins and you don't ride them or anything like that.You are in the water with them and the handlers explain different things about the dolphins and show you things.You get to feed them and pet them and "dance" with them.I really enjoyed it because I learned so much about them,it was not just about swimming with them.

 

Laura

 

We did the Dolphin Quest in Hawaii and had the same great experience.

 

PLUS! It was the first time a mommy dolphin brought out her baby while guests were in the pool :o)

Edited January 24, 2014 by SMerritt

[Kajunswty]

thanks for all the great replies

 

i'll talk it over with the family and see who wants to give it a try. my hubby and i aren't interested but i think both girls are. was hoping to get more info on ccl vs booking independently ...the money we save could be used on pictures / dvd

 

thanks again and feel free to continue to reply

[CaroleSS]

Carnival has an exclusive on booking with them, so you either have to go through them or, if you book independently, you'll have to tell them you are staying in a local hotel.

[jimbo5544]

Thanks for the quick response jimbo

 

Did you book through CCL all 3 times? Which other ports did you try?

 

 

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We did use Carnival all 3 times. The other ports were Cozumel- Nachi Cocum, and Roatan Honduras.

 

 

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[Dayenu]

That sounds positively . . . uncivilized.

 

If they send the people to a bathroom to get dressed, imagine how they treat the dolphins!

 

(Dayenu means "it would have been enough", right?) It's enough.

 

LOL the restroom has a changing room and a shower, they don't make you change in a toilet stall.

[gooch47]

We did the dolphin encounter at Costa Maya, right at the dock. I wasn't happy doing it but my granddaughter was so looking forward to it. The dolphins seemed small. Young maybe. All I could think about was whether they were happy living on such a small pool.

 

We wanted to do the encounter in Australia where wild dolphins come in to interact with humans, but the excursion got screwed up and all we got to do was see the beach where it happens.

[donaldsc]

 

We wanted to do the encounter in Australia where wild dolphins come in to interact with humans, but the excursion got screwed up and all we got to do was see the beach where it happens.

 

That one was neat. First of all, they limit the amount of food they give the dolphins so they remain dependent on wild food. Second of all or perhaps first, they are not enclosed but can come and go as they wish. Also, people do not ride them, pet them, kiss them, etc. They just hold out food and the dolphins grab the stuff.

 

I do not have a problem with this encounter. All the others are just inhumane.

 

I repeat what I said in an earlier post. Imagine that a superior civilization takes over the earth and puts captured human beings in a cage where they have to perform tricks, drag the aliens around in carts, and generally make fools of themselves in order to get food. In addition, the humans have been removed from their family groups and are confined in 20 x 30 ft cages lines with concrete with no freedom and with no opportunity to interact or even see any other members of their family group. Add to this the fact that if the human beings do not perform their tricks properly or the alien tourist attraction has trouble making ends me, the human beings are sold to another tourist attraction somewhere. What I have described is a dolphin encounter.

 

DON

Edited January 26, 2014 by donaldsc