Dolphins

When you think Dolphin, odds are you envision the poster boy for dolphinhood, a Bottlenose. We even used one as the profile picture for this page so that you would feel nice and knowledgable when you got here.

But did you know that Killer Whales are dolphins? That Amazon River Dolphins are pink? That in 2012 there was a pod spotted off San Diego that was estimated to contain 100,000 individuals?

While we would love to educate you about all the different Dolphin species, the truth is that we want you to get in the water with them, in the wild! So we’re going to focus on the best known and most inquisitive species, our posterboys. Captive Bottlenose experiences are commonplace at theme parks, but it’s not a humane practice and shouldn’t be supported. Wild dolphins may not do tricks for you or let you pet them, but they’re every bit as inquisitive as their captured cousins and any encounter will be a memorable one.

There are a few tips tips for swimming with wild dolphins, so hang on a second before you grab your mask, snorkel, and fins.

Enter the water as smoothly as possible, so as not to scare away the animals.

Swim away from the boat a bit.

Hang out for a few seconds and see if the dolphins are in an inquisitive mood.

Freedive! The key here is not to be boring, even if you can only get down ten or fifteen feet, the dolphins will appreciate the effort and circle around you with squeals of joy.

Tell your friends how awesome the experience was!