SCUBA dolphin dive in Roatan

[robdeb]

In the western carib stop at Roatan, Honduras, Princess offers a certified scuba dive with the dolphins, but the information is vague.

 

Has anyone been on this dive? If so, is it in open water where dolphins hang out (as it should), or do you just dive in an area the dolphins are captive, like the dolphin experiences many places have?

[bruce-r]

That sounds something like what Anthony's Key Resort offers.

[lbrooks34]

Yes, we spent a week on Roatan diving. We did not do the dolphin dive. We were told that they were indeed captive. Anyway, I would recommend doing a wall dive. We saw quite a few seahorses in Roatan, though needed the help of a trained eye to spot them. I have to say....IT WAS SO COOL TO SEE A SEAHORSE FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!

[scubaduba]

Love your HOMER! DOUGH! Diving with dolphins can be cool. It can also go horribly wrong. I have read and seen video of dolphin dives that go really bad. Dolphins attacking people when startled. Biting people when you don't give the food fast enough. Grabbing thighs and dragging people under water. And people dying from internal injuries when a dolphin rammed them. I would do it though! I don't know about wild dolphin dives but I think they would be even less predictable. I saw a guy in Gulfport Florida get tail slapped by a wild dolphin which he was trying to feed it one of the sardines he was using for bait. he was in chest deep water. The guy ended up knocked out, broken and bloody nose and broken jaw. Coasties had to medivac him off cay where there were many boats hanging out. It made the local news that night. Pictured guy in his room with his eyes swollen shut. Turns out the Dolphin was a female with young and nobody even saw the baby. Dolphins are wild, large (3-500 Lbs), and very powerful animals. I believe they make you sign a legal risk release for a very good reason. Usually the same one they make you sign before you participate in a shark feeding dive. Aside from all that they on of the most incredibly beautiful, graceful, playful, majestic animals I have ever seen under water. Right up there with Manta rays. If your not SCEEEEERED go for it. It may change your life. For better or worse. :cool: Just remember that infamous quote from by Socrates who said, "I drank what?!"

[jwmcq]

It is my understanding that this dive is the one at Anthony's Key resort. You can snorkel with them in the pen, or they release the same dolphins for you to scuba with just around the pen. So, they are caged dolphins who are accustomed to interacting with people, who are currently unpenned. But it seems I also read that you can actually interact with them more as a snorkeler as the bubbles from the scuba tend to scare them back a little. But I have not done this tour, only what I remember reading about it. Sorry I do not rememeber where I read that.

[TicTac#2]

I didn't do the dolphin tour, but went on the shark dive that is offered in

Roatan. I have over 300 logged dives in the past 35 years, and the dive

with grey reef sharks was one of the best. As it turned out, it was also my

last dive. Several weeks later I ended up with a detached retnia, which has been repaired. Because pressure can cause a re-detachment, I'm retired from diving. I will always remember my time with the Roatan sharks without regrets.:)

[CVL105]

I didn't do the dolphin tour, but went on the shark dive that is offered in

Roatan. I have over 300 logged dives in the past 35 years, and the dive

with grey reef sharks was one of the best. As it turned out, it was also my

last dive. Several weeks later I ended up with a detached retnia, which has been repaired. Because pressure can cause a re-detachment, I'm retired from diving. I will always remember my time with the Roatan sharks without regrets.:)

 

I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you can no longer dive. But on the other hand, I'm glad to hear that you were able to get so many dives in prior to your detached retina and that you ended with one that you consider the best! :)

[TicTac#2]

Thanks for the kind words, Chelsea. My daughter is certified, and she's

wanted to have a dive with me. As I thought the shark dive would be a

good one so I took her as my dive buddy. Which made the last one

a very special dive. Directly after the dive we chartered a float plane and

did a 45 min tour of Roatan. On the bus ride back to the ship my daughter

told me this was one of the best days in her life, it was all I could do to keep

the tears back.

 

Randy

[JMikeC]

In the western carib stop at Roatan, Honduras, Princess offers a certified scuba dive with the dolphins, but the information is vague.

 

Has anyone been on this dive? If so, is it in open water where dolphins hang out (as it should), or do you just dive in an area the dolphins are captive, like the dolphin experiences many places have?

 

While I normally don't engage in broad generalizations, I'm comfortable saying that all dolphin encounters everywhere are pathetic. If you're lucky enough to seen them in the wild-great. Stay away from organized dolphin swim-alongs.