Dolphin Experience
 

Any suggestions on the best place to go?

Don't. Dolphins are free-roaming wild mammals and live in pods with complex social systems. Babies take at lease three years to learn how to integrate into the pod, catch food cooperatively, and learn to avoid becoming prey to shark attack. When you buy tickets to see these wild creatures, captured and held from thier pod in captivity, you are encouraging the wanton trapping of these wild creatures. Mother dolphins are captured and their babies are left to fend for themselves, before they're ready to do so. Robert

Please type "dolphin" into the search box above and read some of the replies to similar questions in the past.
You should educate yourself just a bit about these programs before you patronize them.
The more you learn, the uglier they become.

I appreciate your information. I did check out the dolphin project website and we have decided to NOT participate. I will just need to wait until my son is old enough to get his diver certification card from PADI and we will explore the ocean and the incredible reefs.

Thanks! :)

Thanks, Cayman; Off Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas is a very large pod of spotted dolphins. I witnessed, years ago, part of the pod trapped in low tide from the others, between the cays. Several babies were trapped along with adults, probably their mothers, in the Sea of Abaco, while the others were in the Atlantic Ocean. The mothers didn't part from their offspring, although they knew the low tide would soon isolate them. Both groups cackled back and forth until the high tide returned and reunited them. You could also witness dolphins while snorkeling as well. Although I don't ordinarily recommend dive ops, there are some that conduct dolphin excursions that are "dolphin-friendly." On the island of Bimini, Bahamas, Nowdla and her husband conducted scuba dives off of Bimini. A pod of spotted dolphins often accompanied their dive boat, surfing by the bow and in the wake. At times, they would stop the boat and snorkel gently around the boat, and the pod would actually play with them. Spotted dolphins, unlike bottlenosed dolphins, can't be captivated and trained to do tricks for tourists to earn food to keep from starving. Keefe's Undersea Adventure, on Bimini, now conducts dolphin excursions, for snorkelers only. Dolphins do not like scuba gear, due to the noise and bubbles. Their sonar can detect pregnant women, and the marine biologist who takes you out swears women found out they were pregnant by the interest the pod showed in their bellies; i.e., making buzzing noised to "see" what that life form was in the women's tummies. On one outing, several members of the pod were keenly interested in a blond woman's leg. They approached her leg, underwater, buzzing and trying to "read" the inside of her leg. Suddenly, both disappeared, and reappeared with a half dozen other pod members, and they all began to scrutinize her leg again. When questioned by the marine biologist, the blond said she had a knee operation and a large metal tube was inserted in her leg. The dolphins never encountered this before, and literally told their pod members, "Hey, guys! Follow us. You have to dig the blond one's leg..it has a metal tube inside it!" On another of the Bimini dolphin encounter, two japanese ladies with beautiful hair worn bundled-up were treading the water rapidly, and talking back and forth, about 8 feet from each other. They treaded rapidly, rising out of the water high, to make sure their hair didn't get wet. They were told the dolphins would only interact with you when dipped underwater. Suddenly, a dolphin appeared between the two ladies, and began cackling back and forth at them, rising high out of the water, too. It was imitating them! Whatever intelligence these marine mammals have, which once were landlocked, it's a different kind that man is studying intensely. No wonder Homeland Security is employing them to guard ships in our harbors against people who would pland explosive devices on the hulls. More of these creatures are being trapped in the wild and captivated for tourists to pay money to see them. It is a burgeoning business which must be stopped. Your children will appreciate them more in the wild. Robert

If you find yourself in or near Treasure Beach in Jamaica, hire a local fishing boat to Black River (you'll see crocs and other stuff on the river itself). The ride from TB to BR takes about a half hour and you almost always have dolphins follow your boat, at least for awhile. Some boatmen will stop so you can jump in...if the dolphins feel like staying they will, if not they'll leave.

Breathtaking :)

liza
where did you stay in Treasure Beach?
any recommendations?

Mar Blue - and I highly recommend it...the food is fantastic, the bed is nicer than mine at home, it's right on the beach with pool and only has 3 rooms taht are rented to guests...the owners live there also.

Not the cheapest place in TB but very nice.

thanks a lot Liza
I'm going to check it out

Does anyone have any comments about the swim at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico? We were there recently and it appeared that the dolphins were treated very well. They were from local waters, not transported far, and the program emphasized conservation and education. I'm not sure what to think now...

PLEASE do not do this anywhere.

Of course the dolphins look treated well - they are the geese that lay the golden eggs and are worth many tens of thousands to their exploiters.

It doesn't matter where the swims take place - the US or overseas (although the overseas ones are the worst) - this activity is cruel in the extreme.

7 year old children working in sweat shops in Cambodia LOOK healthy also.

That doesn't mean that their exploitation should be tolerated.

For anyone interested in why they shouldn't do a captive dolphin experience go to:

www.freethedolphins.org/facts.htm

Captivity is not where wild animals belong no matter how good the keepers treat them.
There are many places you can experience them in the wild, which is where they belong.

topping for pof4