Rules of the Road for Swimming with Wild Dolphins

[Wendi]

In Hawaii, on the Big Island, there are some bays where the dolphins come in to play with humans. There are hundreds of them. They swim, jump, play and even bring their babies up to you. There is a game they play, if you bring a large leaf into the bay. While you are snorkeling, you can let go of the leaf. A dolphin will come and grab it with a fin, swim around and come back to you, then let go of the leaf a couple of feet from you. The dolphin swims away, and just as you are swimming to the leaf ready to grab it, dolphin swoops in and grabs it with a fin or wraps it on the tail.
It is great fun for the dolphins and humans.
I held a retreat there and took my group to swim with them most mornings. One of the members of my group was swimming out and started having an anxiety attack. A small group of dolphins came over and circled around her to calm her anxiety. She felt good after their therapy.

When I was in Newport beach, Ca, I often took my dingy out and would turn the engine off and just float. The bottlenose dolphins always came to the boat and would leap in the air to see me, or say hi or whatever.

Dolphins and whales like humans and boats. I think we should be grateful to have this connection with them.

[TCM1968]

So after researching this topic a little. I have not found any law prohibiting swimming with dolphins. The link posted earlier in the topic is just guidelines and has no governing authority to prohibit such interactions. There have been and are still ongoing attempts by organizations to enact laws forbidding this activity particularly the spinner dolphins in Hawaii but as of what I have been able to find no successful law has been made yet.

[TCM1968]

This is an interesting read on the topic.
https://www.worldanimalprotection.us...in-regulations

[Stu Jackson]

I did it in NZ in 2011. Wonderful experience. They came right up and hung out.


Bureaucrats indeed.



Don't step on any ants on the way out...

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

I did it in NZ in 2011. Wonderful experience. They came right up and hung out.

Bureaucrats indeed.

Don't step on any ants on the way out...

Quite, both our kids 13 and 10 swam with the Dolphins in Tortola getting a ride across the bay by holding on to the Dolphin.


https://www.dolphindiscovery.com/tor...rtola-faqs.asp

[Wendi]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Quite, both our kids 13 and 10 swam with the Dolphins in Tortola getting a ride across the bay by holding on to the Dolphin.


https://www.dolphindiscovery.com/tor...rtola-faqs.asp

We might want to be less supportive of captive dolphins. A lot of dolphins have to die in the process of capturing and transporting them. And then they are held prisoner in small environments.

[valhalla360]

Sometimes, it turns ugly:

https://valhalla433.wordpress.com/20...k-of-the-boto/

[Minnesail]

Florida Resort Allows Guests To Swim With Miami Dolphins

[sailorboy1]

Those that have crossed paths with dolphins a lot of times understand what a bunch of a-holes and wise asses they can be. I bet if not feeding they would be happy to swim with you and it will be fun, till someone (the people) get hurt in the game.

[transmitterdan]

Animals that approach humans almost universally do it because they believe, based on prior experience, they will get something good to eat.

Dolphins swim in bow wakes because it helps them go faster while exerting less energy. It’s similar to surfing. They like to go faster than any sharks that might be around.

Dolphin encounters where people ride them should be done away with. Just my opinion. They are smart, family oriented creatures and deserve to live their lives in peace. When aliens eventually visit earth maybe they will kidnap and pen some people up and so their alien children can go for human piggy back rides.

[Nicholson58]

We don’t chase but sometimes cool stuff happens. My favorite Was in Nova Scotia when the seal decided to check me out as I stepped in and then swam with me. Pod of 8 dolphins under the bow for 20 minutes. Big turtle and GoPro. Red howler, Trinidad. Really big French angle came eye to eye every time we got in the water in Bonaire.

[Pete17C]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

We don’t chase but sometimes cool stuff happens. My favorite Was in Nova Scotia when the seal decided to check me out as I stepped in and then swam with me. Pod of 8 dolphins under the bow for 20 minutes. Big turtle and GoPro. Red howler, Trinidad. Really big French angle came eye to eye every time we got in the water in Bonaire.

what kind of fish is that in the last pic?

[model 10]

When you dive, you swim among the fish. I have never yet been able to touch one, but I try. I could touch something like a Sea Cucumber, but I don't want to.

[Compass790]

Originally Posted by 4K Beaches

I was on vacation in Hawaii and charter boats take people out and they swim with dolphins. The dolphins are wild and there is no containment. Is this something that can be done safely anywhere? If so what are the do's and do not's? I live in Miami Florida and see dolphins all the time and friends and family always want to swim with them but I hesitate not knowing some ground rules first.

Thank You

https://youtu.be/iNQBdYW0Ys4

Do it! It's a fun time.
I think it's illegal here to approach within 200 metres but when I see container ships altering course to make sure they dont get close to the dolphins I'll be sure to follow the law too. ( Well perhaps not)
Its a regular occurance for them to approach us tho I hold a sign out with the law on it, funny thing when we had a wing keeled boat they hung around for a long time, not so with the present fin keeled.

[Jim Cate]

Hmm... So it's legal to capture and imprison a dolphin for life, but a crime to swim in their vicinity in an environment where they are free to swim away if they wish to.

Yep, makes sense to me (not).

We've just left Platypus Bay (Queensland) where there are frequent VHF warnings to not get within 100 meters of whales, and where whales routinely approach and circle anchored yachts, often bringing their newborn calves with them for a good look at us. When that happens, we always send a check to the authorities paying the appropriate fine (again not).

What a load of poop these oh-so-righteous folks (authorities) lay upon us.

Jim