Swim with Dolphins on Oahu?
 

Friends of mine are going Oahu in July and their 12 year old daughter wants to swim with the dolphins. They're deciding between Dolphin Quest and Sea Life Park. Anyone done either of these? What do you think?
Thanks!!

These dolphin swims are a form of animal cruelty. These animals are harassed and cut from family and their kin groups to be put in this unnatural isolation. Please do not support or recommend this sort of entertainment. There are other ways for kids to learn about marine mammals.

There was something posted a while back about how this drastically reduces their lifespan to a fraction of what it normally is. Cruel, indeed.

Hey, Bill, I was looking for that post but couldn't find it--I was trying to show it to my friend who wants to do the same. I'm against it, myself.....

Littlehouse, despite my misgivings about the swimming with dolphins, if I had to choose I'd go with Sea Life Park.

I would suggest a boat tour instead, to see dolphins in the wild.

I also think keeping dolphins in captivity for entertainment value is cruel.

If you do a search on this in the Caribean forum area you will come up with some good information. Turned me off from it.

If you do opt for a snorkel cruise, Sunset Bob's has one.

Make that Snorkel Bob's, it's a great place to pick up snorkel gear as well.

Thanks so much everyone! I'll pass this info along to my friends!!

Serious question as I don't really know anything about dolphin swims...are those that are against them also against zoos, petting zoos and seaworld type places or is a 'dolphin swim' something beyond just a normal animal in a captive environment interacting with people.

Many animals are loners. If two meet, except in mating season, they fight. Sometimes they fight to the death of one or both of them. Removing one of these to the zoo leads to boredom for the animal, but also better nutrition an health care.

Dolphins are social animals. They travel together in family units. Removing one of the family creates stress and may lead to the death of the one removed. That's the reason that people are against the "swim with the dolphins" type places.

f&b - when I first read the OP, I didn't post a response because I felt that I had done enough "preaching" about dolphins on other threads, and didn't want to keep harping on it. Since you asked, however, I will say that I personally am offended by dolphin captivity because I had a roommate in college who worked with them. I may feel differently about zoo animals if I knew more about them, but right now I am too ignorant about zoos to comment.

But dolphins are remarkably delicate. The dolphin researchers did not allow anyone in the water - or to touch a dolphin from out of the water - unless their nails were filed down short and they were devoid of any perfume, sun screen, deodorant, make-up, jewelry, hair gel, and so forth. This was to protect the dolphin's delciate skin. I don't know of any "swim with the dolphins" program that takes these types of precautions.

Also, dolphins are known to commit suicide in captivity. They simply choose to stay submerged until they drown. In good conscience, I cannot support or recommend this kind of "fun" activity.

"Serious question as I don't really know anything about dolphin swims...are those that are against them also against zoos, petting zoos and seaworld type places or is a 'dolphin swim' something beyond just a normal animal in a captive environment interacting with people."

YES. I am against all those disgusting things. They teach nothing about the animals and reduces them to nothing more than toys and novelties. If you want to see wild animals buy a pair of binoculars and spend some time outside.

For starters I am against the 'swimming w/the dolphins. However, you can't just lump zoos, etc. all into the same category. Were it not for many zoos, many species on our planet would now be extinct. I'll point out my good friends Jack Hanna, Steve Irwin & many others. They are trying to better & preserve our world for future generations.

I defy you to name one animal that a zoo has saved from extinction. The definition of "saved from extinction" is that it has been reintroduced into suitable and adequately sized habitat to be a sustainable population.

Always remember- it's about money, folks.

These dolphin swim programs are really pushed and touted by the hotels. It's all about the money. It is to make money off of stupid insensitive tourists. It has nothing to do with conservation. Look at the websites of the hotels with the dolphin swims and tell me if it is anything other than another amusement ride.

Well at the point of being stoned - We swam with te Dolphins at Discovery Cove last year and we loved it. You are only supposed to use sunscreen they give you and discorage anything else. You have to take off all of your jewerly before yo swim.

In the water with us was a whole extended family of Dolphins. Maybe you feel it is not right but it is the only time in our life that we will touch a dolphin and I and my family treasure the memory.

wliwl - Hard to answer a question that has no answer. If they have been saved we don't really have any idea what may have happened w/out intervention, do we ? Sorry, my crystal ball is in the shop... Obviously money has to come from somewhere...Certainly these things need to be balanced. To think the people I have mentioned have not done 'good', is ludicrous. Here in Charlotte we have the Raptor Center. They make their $$ (aside from donations) by doing demos & showing the birds that they have, on site. That being said, the only birds that are residents there, are either damaged or have already been ruined by humans (imprinted) when they arrived. All others are nutured, repaired & returned to the wild. It is a very educational & necessary place since most injuries are caused by cars or guns (ie. man). Just an example of someplace that you would have no use for, based on your prior comments. It is not a black & white issue (few are). So no reasonable person could provide a sustainable black & white decision/answer that could be logical.

Yeah, but you haven't named a saved animal yet...

And by the way, I am very familiar with raptor research centers and wildlife rehabilitation. Not all rehab centers do the show and tell act anymore. And lots of people who were formerly bird-banders have gone sour on that too, due to the occasional injured bird and the limited research knowledge gained anymore.

Quoting granniem - "At the risk of being stoned...", my family and I took part in the Discovery Quest program at the Mandarin Oriental on Oahu. My husband and (handicapped) stepson participated in the adult program. I can only say they had the experience of a lifetime. Also, my 11 year old nephew was in the child program (they would not allow anyone under 13 in the adult class). Not only was he introduced briefly to a dolphin, but there was also a snorkeling pond where he got to feed sea turtles and native fish. The instructor also gave him a 1 hour overview of sea turtle breeding (brought him out to the beach for a demostration) and told him about conservation efforts for the turtles and other sea creatures. I am typically very opposed to animals being kept in captivity (don't get me started about gorillas - horrible!), but this was a very well done program. And I feel that the education received by all was invaluable.