Swimming with Dolphins

[marthas harbour]

We are on the Southern Caribbean cruise in April and wondering if any of the destinations we will be visiting would offer swimming with dolphins?

We will be going on to Orlando after and are considering Discovery Cove however the cost for 7 would be in the region of $2000+ so would be interested to compare if possible.

Hopefully posting this in the right area:o

[seacuracao]

If you are coming to Curacao, we have a Dolphin Encounter. Probably lots cheaper than Disney:p

[britsbest]

:eek: Do it at Discovery!

 

We have done Jamaica about 3 years ago and this year @ Discovery Cove.

 

Its like chalk and cheese. Its a whole days experience at Discovery Cove and non swimmers can watch take Videos etc where as at Jamaica they had to wait away from the action.

 

The animals seem much better cared for too at Discovery Cove which would be my prime reason for recommending you go there.

 

Sorry Jamaica but thats the way we saw it but are going back next year to do Dunnes Falls again.

[gacruiser123]

I have not done any encounters in the southern carib., but did Discovery Cove and it was awesome. I was ready to book again before we were even finished. We did this a few years ago and I hope they have kept up the place like it was when we were there. It was immaculate everywhere. Plus your admission also gets you into other places like Seaworld or Busch Gardens. Well worth the money in my opinion. I can't wait to go again. Just too many other places to see first.:D

[CruiseLiz]

Do your dolphin adventure in the US if possible. Dolphins used for "swimming w/ the dolphins" in the US are born in captivity and not wild dolphins that were previously free in the ocean. *Not to say that these dolphins' ancestors weren't wild at some point I suppose.

 

Apparently the regulations concerning collecting wild dolphins for "swimming w/ the dolphins" are very soft in other countries. I saw the rounding up of wild dolphins for such encounters on Discovery channel and its really quite sad.

 

Just an animal lover's two cents.

 

Good luck and have fun with whatever you choose.

[Celest1022]

I saw a documentary on swimming with dolphins and the shocking accidents that can happen. It's very important that the trainer is in the water with the dolphins at all times. They showed the difference with the dolphins behaviour when a trainer was In the water and when the trainer was OUT of the water. We did the Dolphin Quest in Tahiti and the trainer was next to us in the water at all times and the dolphins were trained on command so therefore they obeyed the trainer. If there is no trainer in the water the dolphins are more apt to follow their own instincts and thats when their behaviour can be unpredictable.

[CrusinAgain]

Well you don't say what ship you are on or where in the Southern Caribbean your stops are but my daughter did the Royal Swim with the Dolphin Discovery in Cozumel who has branches in other places (Jamaica is not one and is Western Caribbean anyway) and you probably have Tortola on your itinerary? Go to dolphindiscovery dot com and you will find where all their branches are at and what type of swim you are looking for. We paid $120 for her swim which was everything with the dolphin. Yes they are captured dolphins outside of the U.S. but don't know at what point the dolphin you are with was captured or born in captivity. They are well taken care of by this company but I have seen others that are not (like Jamaica and Cabo).

[katredd]

Like the other posts, I'd suggest Discovery Cove in Orlando. We went there last August and instead of doing the all-day thing we did an evening dinner there. I don't know if they offer it year-round, but it was from 3pm to 9pm and included the whole park and dinner. They close the park to the day visitors at 5pm and then allow only 100 visitors in for the rest of the evening... it was like having the park to ourselves! I think it was cheaper too than the all-day affair but we were able to see everything and have a wonderful time. My kids loved the dolphins but especially enjoyed the snorkeling as well! Just be sure to make reservations if you want to go to Discovery cove as they sell-out regularly.

[jb008]

Also did this 4/2007 @ Cozumel and we loved it! The animals seemed well cared for, got some great pictures from the experience (pack a water proof disposable camera for it and you can get some great water level shots). The park was a great place to swim and lounge after. I have no experience with the other locations, but our experience with the company in Mexico was great!

[PescadoAmarillo]

Do your dolphin adventure in the US if possible. Dolphins used for "swimming w/ the dolphins" in the US are born in captivity and not wild dolphins that were previously free in the ocean. *Not to say that these dolphins' ancestors weren't wild at some point I suppose.

 

Apparently the regulations concerning collecting wild dolphins for "swimming w/ the dolphins" are very soft in other countries. I saw the rounding up of wild dolphins for such encounters on Discovery channel and its really quite sad.

Very true...that show had me in tears. I have an inherent dislike of the dolphin encounters where they're captive. There is something wrong with capturing a free animal and jailing it for our amusement. If you're going to do it, do it in Orlando.

 

The most amazing dolphin adventure I've had was last year on our way to snorkel Champagne Reef through Princess on Dominica with Dive Dominica, a dive/snorkel dedicated to animal/reef preservation. An entire school of dolphins played with the boat, jumping up and spinning out of the water. We kept boating in circles and they had a blast. We were within 10 feet of them. Totally natural. And they were totally free.

 

JMHO, of course.