The Best Places Around the World to Swim with Dolphins!

thereseholland
Oct 22, 2016
2 min read

There's nothing I love more than travel. Add in something related to the ocean, and I'm hooked.

Each of us have unique travel preferences, but for people who love animals and the ocean will without a doubt have included “swimming with dolphins” as one of their goals. While some people may see this as a pipe dream, close encounters with these underwater creatures are more attainable than you think, as they are found in every ocean.

So where exactly should you go to swim with dolphins? Here's my list to feed your wanderlust and ocean-minded travel goals!

Drake Bay, Costa Rica

With its diversity in flora and fauna, Costa Rica is home to 5% of the world’s biodiversity and also has the world’s largest percentage of protected areas. So even if swimming with dolphins isn’t on your list, nature lovers will thrive in this beautiful country.

Described as one of the most cetacean-rich areas across the globe, Drake Bay will bring you up close and personal with several species of dolphins, such as bottlenose, common, pantropical spotted and spinner dolphins. You can also swim with manta rays and turtles, or whale watch, if you have time.

Oahu, Hawaii

No one can travel to Honolulu and miss out on swimming alongside these marine mammals. In fact, I highly recommend that you get out of the city and head into the ocean ASAP.

Visitors on the island of Oahu have a number of options at their disposal for dolphin encounters, catering to all kinds of budgets and types of interaction with the animals. There are a myriad of tours and cruises you can choose from, and for families with young children, their best option would be at Sea Life Park. Cruises tend to have more variety, as Frommer’s says they combine a variety of sea creature encounters with snorkeling, swimming, or just wildlife viewing.

Kaikoura, New Zealand

Chillier than the tropical destinations mentioned above, Kaikoura boasts some of the best marine mammal encounters, with whales and fur seals (in addition to the dolphins, of course) inhabiting the coastal waters. In a short video by filmmaker Jonathan Paley as shown on the arts and leisure section of The Scene, a short boat ride just off the coast of South Island will take you to these majestic creatures.