# Where to swim with dolphins?



## Kelso (Sep 6, 2011)

My wife and I want to go have the best experience with lots of personal contact swimming with dolphins in Florida this winter. They all have different programs, lengths of time, sizes of groups, quality of staff and location. Too many variables to figure out. So where is the best place to have the most incredible experience?


----------



## sdwrdt (Sep 7, 2011)

I don't know if it's the best, since it's the only one we've done, but the entire family LOVED Discovery Cove in Orlando.

You get 1/2 hour of interaction with about 10 people, including your group.

The best part: the entire day at Discovery Cove. So peaceful and fun. I would DEFINITELY go back, just not sure we'd spend the extra for the dolphin part.


----------



## Carolinian (Sep 7, 2011)

There is an II affiliated resort whose name escapes me located on an island off the Australian coast in the Gold Coast area where wild dolphins come right up to the beach and you can swim with them in the ocean, which I would think would be a much superior experience than swimming with captive dolphins in a pool. Most of the island where this timeshare is located is a national park.


----------



## gwenco (Sep 7, 2011)

*We will be at Discovery Cove Monday*

I can post a review when we return from our Orlando vacation near the end of September. 

We will have 6 in our party with 2 of them being our grandkids - 8 and 14.
My granddaughter and DIL did partake in the dolphin swim at the Hilton on the Big Island of Hawaii in April of 2008.  Great, peaceful place also but the swim was only for 30 minutes with  nothing else included and the price was I believe, $250 a piece.  Discovery Cove varies price wise for the time of year and evidently, our time next week is the cheap week as it is running us $199 a piece. But, as the previous poster stated, it is an all-day all inclusive event so we are really looking forward to it!!


----------



## AwayWeGo (Sep 7, 2011)

*I Resemble That Remark.*




sdwrdt said:


> I don't know if it's the best, since it's the only one we've done, but the entire family LOVED Discovery Cove in Orlando.
> 
> You get 1/2 hour of interaction with about 10 people, including your group.
> 
> The best part: the entire day at Discovery Cove. So peaceful and fun. I would DEFINITELY go back, just not sure we'd spend the extra for the dolphin part.


We went there with a friend our age & her pre-teen daughter.  Only the daughter swam with a dolphin.  The rest of us watched.  But we all got to swim with the sting rays & float round the lazy river & have lunch & do everything else offered other than swim with a dolphin.  Everybody had a nice time.  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## BevL (Sep 7, 2011)

Carolinian said:


> There is an II affiliated resort whose name escapes me located on an island off the Australian coast in the Gold Coast area where wild dolphins come right up to the beach and you can swim with them in the ocean, which I would think would be a much superior experience than swimming with captive dolphins in a pool. Most of the island where this timeshare is located is a national park.



That sounds like an incredible experience.  Australia is definitely on my bucket list - this would definitely be on the list.


----------



## DebBrown (Sep 10, 2011)

We did Discovery Cove in Orlando last August.  It was really a fun day.  Besides the dolphin swim, we loved the snorkeling area and "petting" the manta rays.  It was pricey but our tickets included two weeks admission to Sea World and their water park which made it more affordable.

Not Florida, but we also enjoyed snorkeling with the spinner dolphins on the Big Island in Hawaii.  You can't touch them or go for a ride but they swim very close and like to show off for tourists.  

Deb


----------



## Keep Traveling (Sep 10, 2011)

In Curacao at the II resort Royal Sea Acquarium.

You can do all kinds of interactions with the dolphins, trainer, touch play etc.  We chose the Scuba Dive with the dolphins,  Probably one of the best dives we have done in over 500 dives.

KT


----------



## calgal (Sep 10, 2011)

Deb, Where on the Big Island can you snorkel near spinner dolphins? We are going there in November, and that sounds really fun. Thanks.


----------



## DebBrown (Sep 10, 2011)

calgal said:


> Deb, Where on the Big Island can you snorkel near spinner dolphins? We are going there in November, and that sounds really fun. Thanks.



There are a few tours in the the Kona area.  The concierge recommended Sunlight On Water and they were terrific.  Even though we were on the dolphin trip, we also got to snorkel with some mantas as well.  The guide was alot of fun and really helpful.  You may know, the spinner dolphins get their name because they like to jump out of the water and spin before diving again.  They are fun to watch from the boat too when you need a break.

http://sunlightonwater.com/

Deb


----------



## Paumavista (Sep 10, 2011)

*We did this about 12 years ago*

It's been a long time...but maybe this is the same place we visited - I remember it was in Puerto Vallarta.  We were on a cruise and the kids were pulled by the dolphins around the pool, kissed them, played ball with them and had a wonderful experience.  I remember thinking at the time that they got to do so much and spend so much time in the water.  

http://swimwithdolphinsvallarta.com/


----------



## LisaRex (Sep 10, 2011)

We went to Discovery Cove 10 years ago (we returned the week prior to 9/11/01) and loved it.  It was very expensive, but worth it.  We booked it in the middle of Disney marathon and really enjoyed the day of respite at Discovery Cove.  They limit the number of people allowed in, and have plenty of chairs to relax in and things to do around the site.  The water where the dolphins swim was very cold, which was awesome in the middle of August.  Probably not so great in the winter.


----------



## Carol C (Sep 10, 2011)

You could swim and kayak near dolphins at Baypoint on Edisto Island in SC. The experience would be more natural with free, wild dolphins instead of stressed out captives in some pricey tourist attraction. As for Florida, you may want to look at bays like the one in Panama City which is teeming with dolphins.


----------



## shagnut (Sep 10, 2011)

Kelli did it once in the Bahamas as a trainer for the day with Unexco )( sp ) . It was wonderful. She swam with them twice and helped with the Dolphin Discovery program  On one of the swims she got tired and one of the dolphins brought her back in.  She ate lunch with the trainers. This was in contrast to what had happened previous with the same company. The dolphins were pregnant and she wasn't allowed in the water  so they let her do it again a couple of years later for the cost of the swim. She was so excited when she got back.  

She also did it in Xcaret. That was also a excellent experience.


----------



## Kagehitokiri2 (Sep 13, 2011)

atlantis bahamas has the biggest i believe, theres a starwood TS there


----------



## AKE (Sep 13, 2011)

There are some companies in Maui where you go out in kayaks in the early morning and swim with wild dolphins. We have done it numerous times.


----------



## LouiseG (Sep 14, 2011)

In Florida, Discovery Cove is definitely the place to spend your time.  They have just opened a new coral reef pool so there are now 2 to swim in.  Time with the dolphins is limited and it is definitely a learning experience and very nice if you've never done it before.  But it is a beautiful day and well worth the money as the coral reef area has lots to see and swim with.

The dolphin experience at Xcarat in Mexico is also a good experience.  We have done both and thoroughly enjoyed each one.

I only wish Discovery Cove had annual passes for FL. residents.

Whatever you choose to do, Hope you have a wonderful time.


----------



## dwojo (Sep 14, 2011)

I did a dolphin swim a few years ago at Marineland. It is located just south of St. Augustine. They have a web site where you can get more information. It was an incredible expirience and well worth the time and expense. It was even better than my ride along in an F-15.


----------

