Dolphin accident?

[Gingee]

I was talking to someone about us signing up for a dolphin excursion (swim the the dolphins) and she said that recently some dolphin hurt someone. Has anyone heard anything like this?

[johnql]

I haven't heard of this but why should it be surprising if it did happen? After all, we're dealing with animals. They are not machines and anyone who wants to swim with dolphins has to be mindful that interacting with animals is always a risky business.

[DonLou]

I haven't heard about this particular incident but I can tell you about another incident. A few years ago my friend's wife was in Hawaii and she participated in a "Swim with the Dolphins" excursion. The dolphin somehow landed or bumped into her upper body and she had to be taken to the hospital. She stayed there for about a week and upon returning home she went through extensive rehabilitation. Its a rare occurence but it happens. Dolphins are in their element, humans are out of theirs and sometimes the results are not too pleasant for the humans.

 

For this reason, I don't do "Swim with the Dolphins" excursions.

[Cuizer2]

Dolphins are like dogs. Most are friendly, but some are not as friendly as others. Discovery did a program about this. A dolphin is a big powerful animal that must be teated with respect. However, if a dolphin is having a bad day, and you get in the way, there could be a problem. That said, here are some pictures from my dolphin encounter ...

 

Dolphin kiss ...

 

 

Dolphin shake ...

 

 

Dolphin taxi ...

 

 

Dolphin submarine ...

 

 

Dolphin airplane ...

 

[Cuizer2]

And apparently software is like software, and the double post bug has bitten again (more times than dolphins have by the way). Since there is no need to look at the same photos twice, I offer these instead (from Stingray City) ...

 

 

 

And from the seal swim ...

 

 

[on board]

I haven't heard of this but why should it be surprising if it did happen? After all, we're dealing with animals. They are not machines and anyone who wants to swim with dolphins has to be mindful that interacting with animals is always a risky business.

 

Hum johnql,

Did she know if she was dealing with animals? Yep I think so

Does she know that the Dolphins are not machines? Yep..I would think so!

Does she know that it could be risky dealing with wild animals ? I would think everyone would know that!

Did she ask if anyone was surprised this happen or if anyone heard of this? I can read how about you? :rolleyes:

She did not ask for your opinion only if anyone had heard of this! GESH!!! get a grip and if ya had not heard of it then don't preach to her for goodness sake!

[on board]

I had heard about this earlier this morning, I have also heard about other accidents over the past few years. For that reason we never book a swim with the dolphins or stingrays. I hope all no one got seriously injured!

[pg.]

When we were in Hawaii a few years ago we went and saw a dolphin show at one of the hotels, the trainer explained that one of the dolphins was in an aggressive mood and would not be participating, they had segregated him.

 

I am not one who would bother to get in the water with a bunch of animals that weight hundreds of pounds more then me. Animals are animals.

 

A trainer was accidently killed by a orca in my hometown years ago, the whale did not mean to kill the girl, he was "playing" with her, and held her under water too long. It can just happen.

 

But, for OP, nope haven't heard of anything lately. I do know that dolphins can hurt , they ram each other and predators with their noses.

[johnql]

Hum johnql,

Did she know if she was dealing with animals? Yep I think so

Does she know that the Dolphins are not machines? Yep..I would think so!

Does she know that it could be risky dealing with wild animals ? I would think everyone would know that!

Did she ask if anyone was surprised this happen or if anyone heard of this? I can read how about you? :rolleyes:

She did not ask for your opinion only if anyone had heard of this! GESH!!! get a grip and if ya had not heard of it then don't preach to her for goodness sake!

I'm not sure what your problem is. When someone posts on a message board, they're going to get opinions, like it or not. Some will be welcome; others not. Yours falls in the latter category, but I can live with that. You should, too.

[Gingee]

We have done the stingray swim in the past. Glad I did it before that one guy (the one on tv - can't think of his name) died.

 

My eighteen year old is usually a chicken but she wanted to do this one and it is her graduation from high school so I thought we would do it. Now I am wondering if I am putting her and I into danger.

[para]

I am sorry to hear of people and animals getting injured during encounters. I love animals ,so I look for any chance I can to get up close with them. I like the pics Cuizer2. Where were they taken? I would love a swim with the seals.I My husband and I had an unforgettable encounter with Beluga's last summer.

[Cuizer2]

We have done the stingray swim in the past. Glad I did it before that one guy (the one on tv - can't think of his name) died.

 

My eighteen year old is usually a chicken but she wanted to do this one and it is her graduation from high school so I thought we would do it. Now I am wondering if I am putting her and I into danger.

 

Do you drive? That is dangerous. I'll bet more dogs hurt/kill people than dolphins. Do you fly? Airplanes sometimes fall out of the sky. How about the Titanic? Would that stop you from cruising? How many people die while eating because they choke to death? People drown. Is that going to stop you from going in the water? Can you name a "safe" activity?

 

You have to decide if you are comfortable with any given activity. If you are not comfortable with the dolphin swim, then don't do it. There are other activities that you can do. You are not going to enjoy something if you spend the entire time wondering if the dolphin might hurt you. If you do decide to do the dolphin swim, then treat the dolphin with the same respect you would treat any other large animal.

[I Luv Crusin]

We have done the stingray swim in the past. Glad I did it before that one guy (the one on tv - can't think of his name) died.

 

My eighteen year old is usually a chicken but she wanted to do this one and it is her graduation from high school so I thought we would do it. Now I am wondering if I am putting her and I into danger.

 

I think swimming with the stingrays in the Caribbean is pretty safe. The rays are used to people swimming around them. Steve Erwin had a rep for doing dangerous stunts and he was swimming with a different type of ray and seem to have spooked them. I'm not even sure that the Caribbean rays have the same type of stinger that the rays did that killed him.

[mollyeilis]

"I think swimming with the stingrays in the Caribbean is pretty safe. The rays are used to people swimming around them. Steve Erwin had a rep for doing dangerous stunts and he was swimming with a different type of ray and seem to have spooked them. I'm not even sure that the Caribbean rays have the same type of stinger that the rays did that killed him."

 

 

I was watching the Samantha Brown cruise show (actually she has more than one), and she was swimming with rays. They didn't have any noticeable stingers at all...doesn't mean there weren't any (after all, perhaps they "retract", and of course I'm just watching on my non-HD tv), but I would imagine that a stinger big enough to pierce a heart would be visible to some extent? So I would think that they are different sorts of rays.

 

 

As for the dolphin thing, they DO get rather aggressive at times. I haven't heard anything specifically recently, but I'm a big fan of Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen's writings, and they both talk about dolphins being aggressive in various ways.

[Cuizer2]

The stingrays in Grand Cayman are so used to people, you can even pick them up ...

 

[darnapar]

Any wild animal can be dangerous, even domesticated animals have been known to attack people, but I’m not sure I would take animal behavior advice from a bunch of humor writers.

[pg.]

The sting rays in the Caribbean do in fact have stingers. Stingers on any ray are not easily visible .

No animal is completely safe, but,frankly even if a sting ray stung you it would not kill you, that has only ever happened a few times in recorded history, and unfortunately for Steve Irwin the size of the ray( hence the huge stinger) and the fact that it was his HEART that was pierced is what killed him. If it has stung his foot (most common sting site) he woud still be here today.

 

I wouldn't consider swimming with dolphins or rays dangerous, but , nothing is without risk .

 

Gingee

As for your 18 yr old, she can make her own choice, she is 18 and if she wants to try it why not. You are not " putting her in danger" anymore then when you let her drive your car.

[roysue]

Gingee,

I have done both the dolphin swim and the stingray swim. I liked the stingray swim better as those animals can come and go as they please. The dolphins are in an enclosure, albeit a lare enclosure. I read about a signficant incident on this board several years ago in which a dolphin ran into a femal swimmer and knocked her into the dock, causing some injury. That being said, if the dophins acted aggressive very often, it would be more widely talked about. I think both are quite safe excursions. I would personally not do the dolphin excursion again. It was very regimented and alot like participating in a circus act, rather than having a wildlife experience. It is a once in a lifetime experience and if you chose to do it, I am sure you will find it a safe experience.

[Gingee]

Thanks for your feedback. I do love animals. I have one dog at home and usually I am not afraid to meet other dogs. Maybe I should be. The dolphin swim is one of those things that I have always wanted to.

[mollyeilis]

Any wild animal can be dangerous, even domesticated animals have been known to attack people, but I’m not sure I would take animal behavior advice from a bunch of humor writers.

 

They write based on things in the news down in southern Florida...

[Crusin Karen]

I didn't hear about this. I did a dolphin excursion in San Juan a few years ago. I loved it. I am a bit of a "scaredy cat" and this is the lst time I have done something like this (I was even too afraid to do the stingray swim) Do you realize they have dolphin ENCOUNTERS? This is what I did. You don't swim with them. You sit in the water and they do tricks around you, then swim past you, up to you, you clap your hands and they twirl, do something else and they sing to you, something else and they kiss you. But you don't hold onto them and go zipping around in the water!

[Cuizer2]

I didn't hear about this. I did a dolphin excursion in San Juan a few years ago. I loved it. I am a bit of a "scaredy cat" and this is the lst time I have done something like this (I was even too afraid to do the stingray swim) Do you realize they have dolphin ENCOUNTERS? This is what I did. You don't swim with them. You sit in the water and they do tricks around you, then swim past you, up to you, you clap your hands and they twirl, do something else and they sing to you, something else and they kiss you. But you don't hold onto them and go zipping around in the water!

 

Not all the programs are the same. As you can see from the photos, we swam with the dolphin and the dolphin pull us while it swam. There is an even more advanced program where you get to try and ride on the dolphins.

[CMurph]

As a mother I will suggest to go with your instincts. We have done a dolphin encounter. It was wonderful. However, I cancelled a jet ski excursion, because I just continued to feel uneasy about it. Why? I have no clue. I have read many wonderful reviews about that experience....and only a few bad ones. It was just at time I did not feel comfortable with it. Do whatever feels right to you now....maybe later you will have the dolphin experience that you can enjoy fully.

[ladycaveat]

I did the dolphin swim in Cozumel and it had to be one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced (and I'm sixty-years-old). My two dolphins, Amaya and Mora, were the sweetest and most gentle things I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I've had pets all my life and as I type Tiki (my eight year old Westie) is curled up in my lap. If I could only have adopted Amaya and Mora . . . I'd be in Heaven. Of course I'm only teasing but they had the same personality as my puppies. You look in their eyes and they actually smile at you.

[Cuizer2]

As a mother I will suggest to go with your instincts. We have done a dolphin encounter. It was wonderful. However, I cancelled a jet ski excursion, because I just continued to feel uneasy about it. Why? I have no clue. I have read many wonderful reviews about that experience....and only a few bad ones. It was just at time I did not feel comfortable with it. Do whatever feels right to you now....maybe later you will have the dolphin experience that you can enjoy fully.

 

Good advise.