Risks of Swimming With Dolphins

Swimming with dolphins is a lifetime dream for many people, one with a relatively low risk. The few reports made of injuries inflicted on people by dolphins typically involve broken bones caused by the animals becoming agitated, which is more common in programs where people touch the dolphins.

Identification

The United States National Marine Fisheries Service has gathered injury reports for many years from swim-with-the-dolphins programs both in the wild and in marine parks, as well as dolphin-assisted therapy programs. Injuries to humans are not frequent, but do happen now and then. Over a dozen reports of human injury occurring while swimming with dolphins in captivity include a cracked sternum, broken ribs, broken arm and lacerations caused by shattered face masks on two occasions. Typically, programs involving dolphins in the wild require people to be attached to a line and stay a certain distance from the dolphins.
Reports also have been received of people swimming to dolphins in the wild on their own accord, trying to pet them and subsequently getting bitten.

Theories/Speculation

Dolphins often butt with their snouts, which can cause broken bones in humans. Biologists disagree whether these injuries are intentional or not. Dolphins likely underestimate the strength of the human body, because they often bump each other just as forcefully (and bite each other) without causing injury. They also act disturbed and surprised when observing a hurt person's pained reactions. Nevertheless, it appears that dolphins sometimes act aggressively toward humans in these swim programs due to stress.

Considerations

Operators of dolphin-assisted therapy programs have determined that dolphins tend to become agitated and may sometimes act aggressively toward people who are nervous. Program employees do not always prevent nervous clients from getting into the water with dolphins, resulting in injury.

Misconceptions

It is difficult to assess dolphin intention from reports by the injured people and the witnesses, because people participating in these programs tend to be very fond of dolphins, believing them to be gentle and friendly. They do not want to believe that dolphins could mean any harm. Yet dolphins are not always gentle creatures. In the wild, they sometimes act aggressively toward other dolphins and marine animals, even killing rivals for food territory.

Warning

In a wild environment, particularly outside of structured dolphin-swim programs, there is also a slight risk of shark attack, since sharks prey upon certain types of dolphins. Some surfers and swimmers who have inadvertently found themselves in dolphin territory have been chased by or injured by a shark.
Some dolphin-swim programs offer electronic shark repellents, which they say do not affect the dolphins.

Resources

• Report of dolphin aggression toward porpoises