Brenda

Something I`ve always wanted to do, have found several places on the net, but don`t know which one to choose,has anyone tried any particular company and what were they like?

AnimalLover

Dolphins are wild animals and are meant to be enjoyed in their natural enviroment, not swimming with a bunch of tourists. Incidentally, the death rate of dolphins in these so called swim programs is very high. Dolphins can not handle being exposed to human germs...

chuck

Brenda,

If Animal Lover's conclusions have not deterred you, I would recommend Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida. It is associated with Sea World. My wife and I did the dolphin swim there a year ago, and it was great. Discovery Cove has a lot to do while you are waiting for your swim--the total contact time is about 1/2 hour. You can snorkel among various sea creatures, feed tropical birds, or just get some sun on the man-made beach. We found the park to be very well run, and the dolphin experience very well organized.

When I was doing my research, I came across several companies that attempt interaction with wild dolphins in the bahamas. You sail on a catamaran, and I believe it is a week-long activity. That was much more expensive than Discovery Cove, but it sounded great (and would perhaps alleviate some of the concerns raised by Animal Lover).

Have a great time wherever you go!

Merilee

I went to the Theater of the Living Seas in Key Largo, FL...as you're heading to Key West it's on the left...I don't remember the mile marker...it was a wonderful experience and the "high" that you feel afterward is incredible and indescribable...there were 3 separate swimming areas each with a dolphin and the people were split into 3 groups of about 6-8 people if I remember correctly...each group was led by a trainer, who before you interracted gave you a brief talk about the dolphins...once in the water we were given a series of instructions and allowed to choose 2 or 3 manuevers to do with the dolphin...you have to wear fins...although I can't remember what the restrictions were, I do know if you have been involved in certain activities up to a couple of weeks before, you cannot do this...hopefully another poster can refresh my memory...don't let "animal lover" deter you from doing this if it's something you really want to do...these programs have helped autistic children and they have also helped diagnose diseases in people because of their senstivity...it's a balance of life.

xxx

I understand your desire to do this; I looked into doing it myself, but decided against it for the reasons that AnimalLover spoke of. I am by no means a zealot, but I do feel we all need to decide for ourselves where to draw the line. For a nice alternative, I believe that the Tampa Aquarium offers boat tours to view dolphins in the wild.

Wendy

I just called Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Fl. to book next month and they are full! So be prepared to book well in advance where ever you decide to go!

Floridian

There are several boat tours that will take you to see them in the wild. Animal Lover is correct, dolphins that are held in captivity do not live very long and those in the swim programs are stressed to the max. There have been incidences of dolphins ramming tourists and male dolphins trying to "hump" female swimmers. These dolphin encounters try to keep this kind of stuff hush hush so as not to scare tourists away. They are in business to make a profit and they do not care one iota for the dolphins safety or care.

MarlinPerkins

Don't do it. They are wild animals. They are lovely animals. In captivity, their life span is severely shortened, and that's putting aside the potential of catching a disease from us. If you want to see them, grab a boat and head out onto the wild blue seas. There you'll see them in all their splendor. Who said that animals were put here for us to put in cages to amuse us? What hubris that is. And please do some research: Just because a zoo or aquarium (or whatever the heck Discovery Cove calls itself), and despite how fetching the place is, they have, and contribute to, the deaths of many animals. For instance, large fish, such as sharks, have a real hard time living in captivity. They just can't do it. And they die. And the aquarium goes out and gets a new shark, then that one dies. And on and on and on. All to amuse us. I guess you can't tell I feel strongly about this? Sorry.

please

I agree! Don't do it! There are some great tour that can tkae you intothe wild and see these glorious animals in their true enviroment.

x

This subject crops up every month or two. Look, if you want to swim with Dolphins, DO IT. Unfortunately this board is overrun with 'armchair experts' who have all the answers, but few of those are based on fact.

There are plenty of dolphin swim places around, and like anything else some are professionally run and some aren't. One that is, for sure, is the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys. The last thing on the the DRC's mind is harming the dolphins, so you can rest easy in that regard. But like a previous poster said, they book up well in advance, so it's best to call ASAP.

Jon

Oh come on x-Dolphin Research Center is in business to make money just like the rest of them. They don't care if having the dolphins in captivity shortens their life span or exposes them to germs.

xx

call the bbb on them and see all of the complaints they have had.

Flipper

I think we should put humans in tanks and not let them out. We'll charge admission and an exorbitant fee for animals to swim with them.

W

The Dolphin Cove in Key Largo is at mile marker 101.9 & the website is http://dolphinscove.com/. The website for the dophin swim in Islamorada is theaterofthesea.com & the DRC is located in Grassy Key at dolphins.org. Some of the fees charged are deductable per the IRS for a mater of information.

x

Great, now we put dolphins in cages and can deduct being abusive to them..

cg

I'm just curious - I thought that swimming with dolphins in the wild (i.e. those catamaran tours in the Bahamas) was against international law. I can't recall where I read this, but I think it was in some article warning people boating in the tropics not to jump in the water if they see dolphins around.

Has anyone else heard this, or am I thinking of something else?

x

cg-Where did you learn your reading comprehension skills?? No one said ANYTHING about swimming with them in the wild. They said, go out on a BOAT and watch them in their natural enviroment. Big difference.

AND, yes, swimming with them in the wild is illegal. Yet some tour boats in the Keys let their guests do just that..

cg

Sorry that you're so sensitive, xxx. Here's what I read:

"When I was doing my research, I came across several companies that attempt interaction with wild dolphins in the bahamas. You sail on a catamaran, and I believe it is a week-long activity."

I guess by "attempt interaction", I thought that meant swim. Sorry if that's so unreasonable, but I don't think asking a question about swimming with dolphins being illegal is so off topic for this post...

skeptic

I'd be real careful about any company who claims they can take you out on a boat tour to see dolphins in the wild. Seeing dolphins (even briefly, let alone frolicking around the boat) is an experience that doesn't happen every day. A boat that willfully attempts to approach wild dolphins so those on board can get a better glimpse is BREAKING THE LAW (read the Marine Mammal Protection Act). Any tourist boat that seems to have "visits" from wild dolphins on a regular boat, I'd bet that somebody is feeding them to get them to come up to the boat (also illegal). The point is, while you have to make your own decision about the morality of captive dolphin swims, for a tourist with limited time to spend on a boat wild dolphin site-seeing excursions are NOT an alternative, as some of these people would have you believe.

mitzi

Mitzi was the name of the dolphin that played "Flipper" in the movie. I swam with her 35 years ago.