"It was the best thing I've ever done," said 8-year-old Andrew Manseau of Hopkinton, N.H., about his dolphin encounter at Sea Life Park in Hawaii. Andrew's enthusiasm extended to his grandparents, Lorraine and Dick Storey, too: "I liked that they got to see me having fun and that they had fun, too."
Swimming with dolphins may be just a dream for some kids, but it's a dream that can be realized at spots all over the globe. Two of the best-known programs are at Atlantis in the Bahamas and at Florida's SeaWorld.
Grandmother Marie Palsir, a church secretary in Pennington, N.J., sampled both Atlantis and SeaWorld separately when two of her grandchildren turned 7. A special age 7 birthday trip is a family tradition.
Granddaughter Annie, 7, said of the Atlantis experience: "It was really fun doing it because I got to be with my grandmother. You could interact with the dolphins, play with them and touch them."
Grandson Austin, now 11, said of SeaWorld: "I remember when I was walking into the freezing water and found out that my dolphin had been in Jaws; it was really exciting! I also couldn't believe that my grandmother rode a dolphin even though she can't swim."
"That's true!" said Palsir. "This first time, at SeaWorld, you had to swim out to the dolphin and swim back. That was pretty adventurous. When we went down to Atlantis, there the dolphin swim in to you so that was much easier on Grandma in many ways. I'm a city girl!"
While she definitely enjoyed the dolphins up close, she said, in true grandma fashion, "I guess the best part was just being with my grandchildren."
Bahamas
Dolphin Cay Atlantis at Paradise Island features 16 dolphins rescued from Hurricane Katrina. The marine mammals have thrived; three calves were born last year. The shallow-water interaction is limited to 10 people, open to all ages and is popular with families, starting at $120. There are also deepwater swims (swimmers must be at least 10 years old), trainer-for-a-day, sea lions, and behind-the-scenes programs.
Elsewhere in the Bahamas, swims start as low as $85 per person at Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon Island, three miles from Nassau.
Florida
SeaWorld's
Discovery Cove Orlando requires that children be at least 6 years old to swim with dolphins. The in-water dolphin experience lasts 30 minutes after a ten-minute orientation with the trainers. Kids young and old start in shallow water but move to deeper water for everyone's favorite, the dorsal fin "tow back to shore." The 30-acre facility offers a variety of packages, starting about $270 for interaction. If you think marine biology might be in your grandchildren's future, consider SeaWorld's much lauded trainer-for-a-day program, starting at $470.
The Dolphin Conservation Center at Marineland in St. Augustine accommodates ages 5 and older (children younger than 10 must swim with an adult along). The 75-minute program includes half an hour with the dolphins and starts at $180. Summer camps also are offered. The site, formerly known as Marine Studios, has a rich, 70-year history hosting filming for shows like Tarzan, Revenge of the Creature, and Benji at Marineland.
In the Florida Keys, at Islamorada, Theater of the Sea has dolphin swims of about 30 minutes for $175, or $165 for the shallow wade.
Honduras
Anthony's Key Resort has teamed up with the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences to offer a six-day Dolphin Scuba Camp. Grandchildren and grandparents can snorkel with dolphins for more physical contact and dive with them in the open sea to observe them in their natural habitat. Both options are offered as day programs, too, and there's a trainer-for-a-day or a dolphin specialty course. Snorkelers, limited to ten, start out with the dolphins in a 25-minute shallow encounter followed by 30 minutes snorkeling in about 20 feet of water. Minimum age is 13. The dolphins reside in a natural lagoon with a living coral-reef ecosystem.
Mexico
If you want to combine a Mexico beach vacation with your dolphin encounter, visit the Cabo Dolphin Center in the Cabo San Lucas Marina at the tip of the Baja peninsula. The facility offers a dolphin encounter for ages 4 and older that starts at $85 (ages 4 to 8 need an adult along). A dolphin swim, ages 5 and older, costs $165; trainer-for-a-day, $400.
Ethical considerations
Some question if human encounters with captive dolphins are harmful to the marine mammals.
Naomi Rose, senior scientist with Humane Society International, says, "Dolphins are singularly unsuited to being confined." Further, swim-with-the-dolphin programs (SWTD) "are not in the dolphins' best interest because of the stress involved; it's unnatural for the dolphins." Rose says, "These wide-ranging ocean creatures are very social, very intelligent,and live a long time. They live in family pods, form friendships and have kin bonds." She suggests putting yourself in their place. "Would you like to have a constant parade of strangers coming through your living room?"
On the other hand, Marilee Menard, executive director of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, an industry group, says these programs "are absolutely safe, 99.99 percent safe." Menard emphasizes, "There has never been an incident with a
dolphin where an animal was harmed in any way (at a member facility) because we do very intensive education programs prior to people interacting with the animals." She notes that these interactions are enjoyable at all age levels. "The adults have as good a time as any children."
A branch of the Agriculture Department regulates marine-mammal interactive programs in the United States, "ensuring the health and welfare of the animals involved." A spokeswoman says, "USDA does not take a position on whether or not SWTD programs should exist or whether or not they are safe."
Make the most of your dolphin experience
- Book with an accredited member of AMMPA, which means the facility meets the highest standards of animal care, conservation, and education.
- Research all options, such as shallow water versus open water, and select your program based on the best match for ages and abilities.
- Be prepared. Bring bathing suits, towels, and other supplies, and arrive on time. Dress for the weather and time of year.
- Before you book, be sure to get the basics on price, minimum age, cancellation policy, and length of encounter: how much time is actually spent with the dolphin(s) and how much time is education and training.
For more close encounters with dolphins, you can head inland to Indianapolis, west to San Diego, Calif., or across the Caribbean to the island of Curaçao.
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