Swimming with dolphins is a great adventure that is becoming more and more popular, it is a great hobby and quite exciting, but it is also expensive, although doing this has become a point of criticism for different animal activist groups, especially those dedicated to the Dolphins. Continue reading How to swim with dolphins.
Let’s talk a little about the dolphin
Dolphins are beautiful aquatic creatures; they are mammals and are found in various seas around the world. They have their habitat in the open sea, but sometimes they come a little closer to the beach, as they are mammals they need to have a good body temperature, which is why they have a lot of fat under their skin.
There are several species, reaching 32, among these we find the best known dolphin, that is, the common, the bottlenose, the striped, the pink and the killer whale, it has an elongated body and has 2 lateral fins and a Doral, which they use to be able to take direction when they swim and to be able to make turns, each species will have a size and shape of them. The snout can also be rounder or more elongated depending on the species. It has a horizontal tail that is flattened, they use this to be able to move and sometimes to be able to stay standing on the surface of the water, the teeth are conical, which is used to first catch their food and then crumble it. This animal is characterized by its great intelligence, it can measure between two and nine meters and they communicate with each other using different sounds, jumps and even dances.
They live in very large herds, they can reach up to a thousand and have fairly close family relationships, if, for example, one of them gets sick, is injured or has some difficulty, the others will help him, although problems can occur, for example, when they fight for a female.. Its gestation is between 11 and 12 months, that is, more than that of the human.
Criticism of swimming with dolphins
Those who criticize this do so even for the fact that these beautiful animals are exploited for profit, but there are also those who think that these beautiful creatures enjoy and get excited when they receive a visit from humans, that is, it is a nice activity for both. The truth is that this practice is done in many parts of the world, there are even places where the experience is carried out with wild dolphins, but the most common is in aquariums and in controlled environments.
For obvious reasons, the strongest criticism from animalists goes to those aquariums where dolphins are kept in captivity. Science itself, it seems, has already shown that these animals are not comfortable in captivity and therefore contributing to this is not the best option.
Due to the above, swimming with wild dolphins becomes a more humane activity. In the open sea the dolphin will have a choice whether she wants to have an interaction with the man or not, either way if she stays or moves away she will swim harmlessly.
Before doing this practice you must hire a guide company that is trustworthy and that is committed to the environment, the most renowned companies have rules to protect these animals and the place where they live.
Many of the tours do not allow touching or giving them food, this is with the aim that the dolphin remains wild and does not begin to depend on human visits, although each operator has different tactics.
If the dolphins decide to move away, they should not be chased or circled.
The groups should not exceed ten people, because more than that is a great invasion of the place.
What the best tourist agencies do is look for interactions to be born from dolphins and not from humans. Keep in mind that such interaction will last a maximum of an hour and a half since they do not have much attention span.
Due to what has already been mentioned, the good operators have their own boats and offer quite long tours so that the dolphins can interact with man in their time and space.
There are tours that are much more advanced and have boats where you can have a stay and sleep on board, either for a few days or a whole week that will depend on what each person is looking for and the vacation they want.
How to swim with the dolphins
Captive dolphins die faster due to causes such as chlorine or stress, which is why we continue to recommend that if you go swimming with dolphins, you do so with wild ones. These cute little animals are very playful and intelligent and generally enjoy the company of man, read below the suggestions that we bring to you.
Don’t bother them
It is not advisable to disturb or chase them; some experts say that this can make them dangerous animals.
A good swimmer
If you want to be close to a dolphin you must swim quite fast, these animals live underwater almost all the time and swim at least 40 miles a day.
Wait for the dolphins
You must wait for the dolphins to go to where you are, this usually happens since they are quite friendly animals, but never do the opposite, do not go towards them as they could be quite aggressive.
Don’t touch the dolphins
Dolphins have skin that is very sensitive and therefore it is very easy to damage it, so it is better to try not to touch them, on the other hand they could contract infections by having contact with humans, it is recommended that you do not get too close.
The games
If several dolphins start swimming or start chasing each other near where you are, you should not be scared, it is quite the opposite, they are showing that they feel good with you; on the other hand, since dolphins live in pods, they like to play in where algae are chased or thrown.
The modulation whistles emitted by the dolphin
Dolphins have excellent forms of communication and they do so by whistling with a frequency that is modulated. Each of the dolphins emits its own sound and at the same time they have others that are shared by the entire pod, for example when they have to make a call if there is a danger alert.
These have click sounds for echo location, so if a dolphin wishes to be able to find you, it will do so through strange click sounds, that is, they oscillate, through these sounds these wonderful animals can perceive objects that are inside the water of the size of a bean and is 900 meters or more away.
Follow recommendations
Generally, the guides for these are marine biologists who have studied these precious animals a lot, so follow all the recommendations they make to you to the letter.
Destiny
A good destination to go swimming with dolphins is Hawaii, you can find brochures online to learn more about this, or if you are already there ask for one at the hotel, it is good to know how long the trip with the dolphins lasts and of course its cost.
Conclusion
Swimming with dolphins in the ocean, in their natural environment, can be an exciting and great experience that you will always remember.
