Imagine swimming next to an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin in a sunlit salt water lagoon or natural salt water pool. Arms at your sides and flippers covering your feet, you glide through the water. Touching the dolphin’s back, you take a deep breath through your snorkel and dive down, side-by-side, into an underwater paradise.
The dolphin anticipates your every move and follows closely beside you. Your eyes meet and an unwavering feeling of camaraderie, admiration and gratitude overtake you. This is the dolphin’s world and for just a moment, you are a welcome visitor.
The swim with dolphins in Florida is the most sought after and coveted of human-marine animal interactions. Cousins to whales, dolphins are incredibly intelligent and capable of understanding complex language. Dolphins have long intrigued humans with their playful, friendly nature and “smiling” rostrum.
Most marine parks and dolphin swim facilities in Florida have programs to match the needs and expectations of individual participants, families and small groups. These include a meet, encounter or swim with dolphins encounter, resulting in a variety of interactions and experiences.
Book Your Dolphin Programs in Florida Online Now >>>Meet the Dolphin in Florida
“ Meet the Dolphins” is a session in which participants have the opportunity to touch and interact with the dolphins from a floating dock or platform, while the trainer guides them through a series of basic interactive behaviors. These can include rubs, kisses and cradles, toy retrieval, singing, eye contact and many excellent photo opportunities.
This is a chance to become acquainted with dolphins and in a more comfortable setting and you don’t need to go into the water at all. It is an excellent precursor to a dolphin encounter or swim with dolphins, and an ideal session for young children and those with limited mobility or an aversion to water. With the dolphins being an average length of 6-9 feet and weight of 500 lbs., the mere size of these gentle giants is surprising for anyone.
Dolphin Encounters in Florida
A “Dolphin Encounter ” program is great for children as young as 3 and up and with parent or guardian participation in water with the child. A wade is perfect for senior citizens or those not yet comfortable with a full swim encounter.
Participants stand in 3 to 4 feet of water and are approached individually for various contact-based dolphin behaviors, with full direction from the trainer. These can include a swim-by, kiss, rostrum rub, hug, toy retrieval, and a choice of additional interactions outlined by the trainer. Many photos will be taken by the park photographer and will be available for review and purchase after your wade. You don’t need to worry about any swimming in this program. This program is great for almost anyone!
Swim with Dolphin Florida Experience
The “Swim with Dolphins” encounter is like nothing else. Champion of encounters, a swim with dolphins session, provides a rare opportunity to experience the human-marine animal connection.
The swim takes place in a pool or lagoon with water depths of 15-20 feet. It is important to be adept as a swimmer to feel comfortable during this activity and experienced with a snorkel to dive underwater side-by-side.
The swim will include individual or paired activities like rubbing and kisses, participator tricks with props such as a hoop, cradles, dorsal tows and foot pushes (much like skiing, with the dolphins providing the push power), imitative behaviors and finally a side-by side swim. You will also get a first hand look at the close relationship between trainer and dolphin, which often lasts for many years.
Whether a Dolphin Encounter or swim with dolphins in Florida is right for you and your family or group, you can depend on Dolphin World to help you find the best dolphin swim programs for your destination vacation.
I’m pretty sure an animal that usually travels hundreds of miles a day would have a poor and traumatic life in a small sea pen entertaining your guests for food. Keeping a dolphin in captivity does nothing for the animal, has no educational value, and is an outdated and barbaric practice.
Can you imagine… dolphins playing free in the ocean, with their families… swim with dolphin programs are cruel and abusive, no matter where these programs are located… PLEASE, DO NOT GO TO A SWIM WITH DOLPHINS PROGRAM !!!
I’d rather do something fun that isn’t cruel to another living thing.
You’re kidding me – this HAS to be a p&sstake surely? How can this be better than seeing these majestic creatures swimming freely?
Hi Meg,
Thanks for sharing your opinion. We would like to know where is your evidence that the dolphins life in captivity is poor and traumatic? What facility have you seen this evidence?
Hi Anita,
Thank you for sharing your opinion. We would like to know your evidence that the programs with the dolphins in captivity is cruel and abusive? What facility have your seen this cruel and abusive behavior take place?
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your own opinion. We would love to know where you have evidence that dolphins in captivity are treated cruelly? Where have you seen this cruelty taken place? We have never seen what you have claimed and we have been in the business for over 20 years.
Hi Fluffy,
Thank you for sharing your own opinion.