Where to Swim with Dolphins
Swimming with dolphins is something that many people desire to engage in to learn more this intelligent mammal. In many places in the world, swimming with dolphins can become a reality by booking a reservation at an adventure park that trains dolphins to swim and interact with humans. Bottlenose and Spotted Dolphins are the most popular dolphins as well as the most gentle of all breeds making them a popular attraction at most dolphin adventure parks.
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Features
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Some of the main features of swimming with dolphins is being able to be pulled by the dorsal fin of a dolphin or ride with ones toes being pushed by the dolphin. Other dolphin interactions include, kissing, hugging, handshakes and songs. Helping to feed the dolphin after a trick or swim is also included in many packages. Many packages also include swimming and interacting with up to 15 dolphins at once and an educational and instructional meeting is typically held before the swim starts---to assure safety and proper technique around the dolphins.
Geography
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Finding a location where one can book a swim with dolphins under a supervised setting requires making reservations to a resort or park weeks or months in advance. Although dolphins can be found all over the world, the commercialization of the Central and Southern Florida region in the United States tends to have the highest amount of parks that are open to the public for swimming with dolphins. Discovery Cove in Orlando offers a unique hands on approach where adults and children can ride dolphins, interact with them in their natural habitat and most of all learn about the lifestyle of dolphins and how they survive in the wild. Key West, Florida also offers a park to be able to swim with Dolphins called Key West Wild Dolphin Adventure---from here guests can enjoy swimming with dolphin's right in the Gulf among coral reefs and exotic water life. Oahu, Hawaii offers a dolphin swimming park called Hawaiian dolphin swim, where guests can interact and swim with dolphins. The Swimming with Dolphins Adventure Park extends around the globe and is a popular tourist activity in the following locations: Cozumel, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Nassau, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands and Jamaica.
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Identification
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The Bottlenose Dolphin is the most popular dolphin used for human interaction and swimming due to their intelligence and friendly personality. Typically gray in color with occasional white under bellies, the Bottlenose Dolphin loves to pop its nose up and interact with humans---its nose is long---around six to eight inches. Bottlenose Dolphins also have a large sturdy dorsal fin that rises up out of the water when they swim---making the perfect handle for going on a dolphin ride. Spotted Dolphins are very seldom used for human interaction because they are not as easily taught as the Bottleneck . Spotted dolphins are light gray in color and have white spots adorning their backside.
Time Frame
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The time frame for swimming with most dolphins at a theme park or private park is typically around 15 to 30 minutes---dolphins as well as humans need their rest and need to break in between laps around a pool or lagoon. Most theme parks offer a variety of activities including training sessions, observing other animals or watching the dolphins interact with each other, which makes up for filling in the time spent at the park.
Considerations
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Swimming alongside or with dolphins should not be done in the wild, as it is often times difficult to differentiate between different species of dolphins as well as other water animals that look similar such as sharks or large fish. Dolphins that are housed at resorts, parks or recreation centers are typically trained and are more comfortable around people---those who still live in the wild may be aggressive or not react well with humans, therefore it is discouraged.
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Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.sxc.hu
