swim with the dolphins
 

I am going to Sandals Antigua in April. I would like to know anything about that Sandals ( I went to Halcyon St.Lucia 2 years ago and loved it).Also I heard their is a location that you can swim with the dolphins.Any information I can get on that would be helpful.Thank you c2b

I would ask you to please reconsider the dolphin swim. They are incredibly cruel. I did it once and was sorry ever since. No matter how clean or nice it looks, more than half of the dolphins die within 60 to 90 days of capture. <BR>In order to make an informed decision, please visit:<BR><BR>http://dolphinproject.org/ <BR><BR>http://www.hsus.org/ace/11727<BR><BR>(The second site is the Humane Society of the United States' position on SWTD programs.)<BR><BR>

I would also recommend not supporting these dolphin ventures. Dolphins are free-ranging wild ocean mammals, and live for 70 years in the wild. Life expectancy is reduced when captured. Also, female dolphins spend a minimum 3 years teaching their babies how to fit into the complex social structure of the pod, and also how to avoid sharks. Many female dolphins are netted and placed into total dependence upon their human captures, for the amusement of tourist...let's face it, money! Not to degrade people interested in dolphin encounters, I was one of them myself until I did some research. Please do not support this particular business venture. Robert

You'll have the opportunity, on many islands, to see dolphins in the wild.<BR><BR>In Negril, Jamaica, on the west end cliffside resorts, we see them all the time...especially in the evening when we're out there watching the sunset.

I just got back from 6 days at Sandals Antigua and loved it! The resort is great and so are the people. I had never been to a AI or a Sandals and was a little nervous after reading some posts, but I would highly recommend it. We were upgraded from a premium room to a grand lux and while I first found it kind of small, I soon realized that this is the Caribbean and you don't spend much time in your room. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. My wife and I really don't like the Club Med atmosphere and we worried that they would bother you to join in on games and things, but it wasn't like that at all. They have activities every hour and they are listed in the lobby, like volley ball, tennis and ping pong, but you have to go to them, they don't come to you. By the second day I was playing volleyball twice a day. Also, our room was right on the beach, which I would recommend. The vendors walk around but you just tell them no thanks and they leave you alone. Some are actually very interesting and we did buy a few things from them, but they are far from a pain. We were actually surprised at how empty the beach was and this is the high season. We got chairs every day and there was nobody around us. I thought the water activities were great!! We went, snorkeling, waterskiing, boat riding and it's all included. I also took a scuba diving class and then went out to a 20 foot deep ship wreck. They also give you lessons on how to use things and are very helpful. The taught my wife to water ski and me to use one ski. Again this is all included and all you have to do is walk over, grab a life vest and some skis and walk over to the boat and go, no need to sign up and you can go 30 times in a row if you want. They also have all sorts of boats you can use. The food choices were fine and plentiful and the drinks were nice and strong. They also have tours that you can take of the Island. I would recommend just hiring a local taxi driver to take you around and you can do things at your own pace. Ask for Willy who is stationed at Sandals, he took us around for 5 hours and waited while we explored, all for $80. I would definitely recommend Sandals for a nice vacation. If you need to know anything else, just post it.<BR>