#dolphin encounter

[emaadsidiki]

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Dolphin Adventures @ Dolphin Theater

[where-is-my-pen]

I saw someone claim, “There’s no evidence that swim with dolphin programs and closed-system habitats are detrimental to the animals.”

This, of course, referring to the various “Dolphin Encounter” programs offered by marine parks, and the state of the enclosures that cetaceans are currently house in.

First, let’s briefly tackle how Dolphin Encounter programs work.

You shell out a bit of extra money plus the cost of your day ticket to feed and/or swim* with the dolphins. The less expensive feeding option gives you a tray of fish to give to the dolphins.

*Depending on the facility, there is little to no actual swimming with the dolphins. You will get in the water with them in a wetsuit on an underwater platform and the trainer accompanying your group will go through a set routine and allow each of the guests to feed, touch, and possibly get towed by the dolphin. A photographer employed by the park is sometimes present to take pictures of the guests.

What are the risks?

Aside from being stressful and dangerous for the dolphins, there are health and safety risks for the guests involved. Zoonotic diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia can be passed between people and dolphins, and the water that the dolphins live in also happens to be the same water that the dolphins excrete (eg. poop and pee) in. Ingesting any amount of the dolphin water could lead to infection, such as MRSA or bacillary dysentery.

Aside from the risks to your health, there are the risks of injury. One of the more well-known cases of a park guest experiencing dolphin-inflicted injury is the young girl that got bitten by a dolphin at SeaWorld’s Dolphin Cove.

The conclusion that most people came to in this case was that the dolphin got excited at the sight of the tray (which I believe you are supposed to keep out of the dolphin’s view, hence the angled border of the pool) and subsequently lunged for it and caught the girl’s arm in the process.

In this video, a dolphin lunges in frustration after being repeatedly teased by the guest holding the fish just out of reach, in order to pose for a picture.

This video shows Silvana Straccia, a swimming with dolphins at Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana. Starting around 2:20 in the video, one dolphin appears to strike Straccia in the face with it’s tail, and another rams her.

She explains in the video description: “ while the first one throws me water in the eyes, the other one comes behind and hits my chest, and sank me under the water. “ She was in the hospital for 8 weeks for broken cartilage, and claims that she was made to sign a form saying that any accidents to happen were not the fault of the park: “ They do the same routine every 20 mins surrounded by strangers, with noise, and orders.. non stop!!.. I was told that if he had hitted me with the nose I would not be alive.. so i was quite lucky in the end. Poor them.. who is the silly one??.. Us.. I will never do it again, and not for the hit. Nobody should and their business would be ended. THey earn a fortune with no responsabilities, as they made me sign a paper before entering, not being responsible for any ACCIDENTS! so you cant claim... “

A dolphin swim experience in Miami. A dolphin charges at the man shown in the video and bites his forearm. It stops underwater in front of him, then heads back to the direction it came from, and appears to strike him with it’s tail flukes. The man floats on his belly and says “He bit me.” From the video description:

“Dolphin attacks my son while on summer holiday in Miami. South African family. Just come across this video from our holiday in Miami, Florida, and it made me feel sick as the day it happened and decided to post it onto Youtube, so you can see the ugly side of swimming with dolphins, don't think it's all fun. Be careful and remember, it's a business they're running. “

Another incident that I have to link because tumblr doesn’t want me to embed more than 5 videos: “Dolphins attack Josie” - 2 dolphins bite a woman during a “swim-with” session.

Captive cetaceans aside, wild cetaceans acting aggressively towards humans is not entirely unheard of. In fact, in many areas, entering the water with and/or touching wild cetaceans is illegal due to the risks to both human and animal.

“Dusty” the dolphin was a local celebrity of sorts in Doolin, Ireland. Here he is displaying quite aggressive body language via tail-slapping several times before ramming the woman in the water. From the video description, “The dolphin is believed to have struck the woman in the kidney area with its nose, leaving her winded and shouting to be rescued.”

Dusty apparently frequently injured people.

Tumblr won’t let me embed more than 5 videos on a post, so here are more links to wild cetacean-human aggression.

"When Dolphins attack” - 2 wild dolphins harass a woman and the person filming.

"Wild Dolphin Attacks Swimmers In US Town” - A wild dolphin bites multiple people in a canal.

“Pilot Whale Attack - original version” - A man and woman jump into the water with wild pilot whales, even touching one. One of the whales grabs the woman by the leg a drags her under. They were fined $10,000, but battled it for 3 years and the claim was dismissed.

You can point your finger at the people getting hurt by wild dolphins and say “Of course they got hurt, they shouldn’t have been in the water!” What does that say about marine park’s swim-with programs?

“Of course the wild dolphins attacked, they aren’t used to people!” Then how do you explain the captive dolphins also lashing out at park guests? It’s well-documented that even wild dolphins will harass swimmers, and yet marine parks continue to introduce the circumstances that allow these incidents to happen.

[moana-matron-designs]

I went back & forth on the decision whether or not to leave the sound in this video. I'm sorry about my super annoying humming, I was doing it partially to keep warm and partially cos it seemed to help the dolphins find me. I left it in because you can hear some gorgeous dolphin sounds in this vid, so I hope you enjoy 🐬💙🐬

[mikescoastalexpeditions]

Awesome Dolphin Encounter on New Year’s Day with Mike’s Coastal Expeditions!

Kick off the New Year with an unforgettable dolphin sighting on a guided kayak tour with Mike’s Coastal Expeditions! Paddle through the scenic waters of Naples and Bonita Springs as playful dolphins make a special appearance. Start your year with adventure and nature’s magic!

[puntacanatransferpro]

Dolphin Encounter

Dive into a Dolphin Encounter Adventure in Punta Cana!At the Dolphin Encouter, step into a world of wonder and embrace the childlike joy we all carry within! Our exclusive Dolphin Encounter offers you the rare opportunity to not only meet but play and bond with one of the ocean’s most intelligent and lovable creatures. Imagine the thrill of touching, interacting, and learning all about these majestic marine mammals up close. The memories you create here, paired with stunning photos, will stay with you forever!Why You Should Book This Dolphin EncounterWho doesn’t love dolphins? Seriously, they captivate hearts worldwide! And now, you have the chance to make one of the most unforgettable experiences of your lifetime. Their intelligence, beauty, and agility are beyond remarkable, and this tour is designed to deepen your appreciation for these magnificent animals.Our multi-million-gallon dolphinarium is a stunning, safe, and serene environment where you can jump right into the action—no swimming experience required! These dolphins are expertly trained and gentle, creating an incomparable experience for you and your group.What You Can Expect at the Dolphin. EncounterAs you stand on a submerged platform, you’ll spend 50 magical minutes interacting with dolphins, with a group size limited to just 12 people to ensure an intimate and personal experience. - Dolphin Kisses & Hugs: Receive a sweet kiss from a dolphin, and yes, you get to kiss back! 🐬💋 - Dolphin Dance & Handshake: Not quite a handshake, but a friendly fin shake as you dance with these amazing creatures. - Belly Rubs: Enjoy the dolphins swimming by as you give them a gentle belly rub—trust us, this is their favorite part! - Learn & Appreciate: Discover fascinating facts about the dolphins' anatomy, habitat, and diet from our professional trainers. Don’t worry, humans are not on the menu!

[sohannabarberaesque]

What more could the Catalina Diving Clowder ask for en route to a dive adventure?

[jacknealephotography]

It is 5am and the first rays of red light from the rising sun are starting to send steaks across a heavy sky. A still breeze sends ripples across the still water as the boat from Dolphin Encounter cuts a clean path through leaving a trail of white in its wake. Such a contrast from our previous attempt that had waves crashing over the small boat forcing us to turn around and head back to shore. As we head round the coast in search of Dolphins I find myself hoping that the sun will rise high enough in the sky to get over the cloud and give more light under the water. We pass a few Albatross sitting on the water and I cant help but feel that these majestic birds look more like big ducks when they are not in flight.

  A dolphin is sighted and the sleepy boat comes to life as everyone starts to look out for more. Soon there are a few plying with the boat and grabbing my camera we are hustled to the back of the boat. My mind is still half asleep and despite the warm wind my body is still telling me that it should be in a warm bed and not slipping into the cold water. However with the blast of the horn and a pod of Dusky Dolphins waiting to play with my well rehearsed sounds and squeaks I immerse myself in the water and immediately forget the cold and how early it is. Looking down through my snorkel I am met with three Dolphins coming toward me. Diving down they follow me, swimming round me in circles so close I could reach out and touch them. I bang my fist on the side of the camera housing attracting more Dolphins. I make dive after dive, each time the dolphins follow me circling around me at incredible speed. One slows as I sit under the water we look at one another,  time as I know it stopping. I find myself wondering what they think of us swimming around making strange noises, those eyes seem far too wise to be amused by our attempts at being in their under water world.   The sound of the horn blasted out across the water signalling for us to return to the boat. I had no idea how long I had been in the water and was feeling a little dazed from diving down holding my breath but I find that I have been in the water for over half an hour.

We do one more dive with a much bigger pod however the visibility closer to the shore was not as good and returning to the boat We observe as A pod of common dolphins comes and joins and it becomes one big party of acrobatics, even the baby ones give jumping a go however they have not quite mastered it not making it very high out of the water. Their attempts however are very endearing and great to watch.

It seems that everywhere I go in this amazing country I so wonderfully inspired by the natural world and with every encounter or experience I feel that nothing can beat what I have just seen or experienced. However with every new place that I go I am met with a wonder that again I feel cannot be beaten. Swimming with wild dolphins has been one of those experiences.

SUNRISE WITH THE DUSKY DOLPHIN It is 5am and the first rays of red light from the rising sun are starting to send steaks across a heavy sky.

[throughtheeyesofben]

S E A L

#throughtheeyesofben - a playful seal relaxing on the shores of Kaikoura, NZ.

Whilst coming to the end of our Kiwi Experience tour of the beautiful New Zealand we stopped over in the peaceful small town Kaikoura. Upon arriving our driver parked up at the Point Kean viewpoint and let us see these cute animals up close and personal.

Many of the seals were sleeping/relaxing along the shoreline whereas others were almost territorial towards us. The reason behind this was due the huge number of babies which we found hiding in bushes and even under parked vehicles. The pups are adorable and are very intrigued by all the attention they receive.

As with any animal its essential to not harm, scare or entice them whilst you’re in their own natural habitat.

In Kaikoura the Kiwi Experience offer you the chance to book discounted boat tours to observe dolphins or whales in the nearby sea. (They even refund you 80% of the ticket price if you’re one of the very few who fail to see any of the wonderful animals whilst on the tour) Unfortunately for us the weather conditions meant the boats were unable to take us for our tour but its definitely on my bucket list and I hope to return very soon. 

The two tour companies are Whale Watch and Dolphin Encounter - they each have their own website where you can find out more about their tour packages etc.