Hawaii is a popular destination for travelers from the United States and abroad. With its sunny weather, stunning scenery and beautiful oceans, Hawaii offers a relaxing vacation. In addition to traditional Hawaiian activities, travelers have the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Swim-with-dolphin programs are a unique experience that enables personal encounters with the friendly animals in their natural habitat or a preserve environment.
Step 1Choose your location. Most of the popular programs exist in Oahu and Kailua-Kona. Consider Ko Olina Ocean Adventures, Sea Life Park in Oahu or Dolphin Quest on the Kohala Coast (see Resources below).
Step 2Find your comfort level. Do you want to swim with trained dolphins in a contained pool, or would you prefer to swim alongside dolphins in their natural habitat? Some parks, such as Sea Life Park in Oahu, offer contained environment dolphin encounters. These dolphins see people every day and are accustomed to human interaction. Companies like Wild Side Specialty Tours offer tours into the ocean, giving participants the opportunity to swim in open water (see Resources below). Keep in mind that these types of tours do not guarantee dolphin interaction if they are not present or if operators deem the situation to be unsafe for humans or the dolphins.
Step 3Pick a level of interaction. Most facilities split their services into several levels. You might choose to simply pet and play with dolphins, take a ride holding the dolphin's dorsal fin or the more adventurous standing ride. Each level will have a different price and time period, so be sure to research the specifics before signing up.
Step 4Prepare to pay. Swimming with dolphins in Hawaii is not cheap; even at the lowest end of the price spectrum, you can expect to pay from $75 to $100 for simple touch encounters with dolphins. For more extensive programs or for encounters with wild dolphins, expect to pay from $250 up to $1000 for a full day program.
Step 5Read the fine print. Before you hand over payment for a swim with the dolphins program in Hawaii, be sure you understand the details. If you are swimming with children, check that they meet age and height requirements. Some programs also require a paying adult to accompany children under a certain age. For wild dolphin encounters, read through the tour operators’ notes; some reserve the right to cancel a tour or a swim with dolphins if it will endanger the animals.
Resources: Sea Life Park
Wild Side Specialty Tours
By: Erin Smith
Erin Smith is a professional writer and information designer based in the Midwestern United States. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Central America and the United States, and is always on the lookout for cheap flights and the next great adventure.Read Next 5 Articles
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