Dolphin swim on tortola

[met195]

Has anyone been on Tortola, and been swimming with Dolphins there?

Is it any good?

[Ilovesailing]

Has anyone been on Tortola, and been swimming with Dolphins there?

Is it any good?

 

 

HERE IS A LINK TO REVIEWS ON TRIPADVISOR

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g147355-d1726109-Reviews-Dolphin_Discovery_Tortola-Road_Town_Tortola_British_Virgin_Islands.html

[jonathantravels]

Ugh, that sounds awful. For $500+, they'd better give me a pet dolphin to take home with me, not just a 15 min swim!

[SuiteTraveler]

The BEST tour from Tortola is to go over to The Baths on Virgin Gorda. It's not expensive, but it is an amazing experience with 2 beautiful beaches and some challenging climbing through the caves. Afterwards, at the top near the parking lot, there is a restaurant that serves the BEST pina coladas I've ever had!

[meatball_nyc]

Has anyone been on Tortola, and been swimming with Dolphins there?

 

Is it any good?

 

 

We swam with the dolphins back in 2006 with Carnival in Tortola. It was worth it. Thought I would be scared but it was cool. My son loved it as did I.

 

Happy Sailing.

[coldflame]

Has anyone been on Tortola, and been swimming with Dolphins there?

Is it any good?

 

The most important aspect is how they keep the animals, IMO. If their cages or enclosures are reasonable, I have nothing against this type of excursion; however, there are certain stops in the Caribbean with dolphin encounters/swim that leave a lot to be desired, Costa Maya being one of the worst offenders in that sense. So, obviously on top of your budget limitations I like to ask people to research and consider the facilities where the dolphins are kept and vote with their wallets.

[slc22]

Has anyone been on Tortola, and been swimming with Dolphins there?

Is it any good?

 

There were 8 of us from the Getaway April 25 roll call, that booked directly with dolphin discovery. They have a new package called Dolphin Adventure Memories ... They give you a disk with all your photos from the session, and lunch, and followed up with an informative tour.

 

I highly recommend it!

[zqvol]

If you are wise you will educate yourself about the way these animals are treated and then skip this excursion.

[SissasMomE]

If you are wise you will educate yourself about the way these animals are treated and then skip this excursion.

 

Couldn't agree more.

[kenzie]

We did this excursion with Princess in October 2013, I was in the water with Dolphins, and felt tingling in legs, the tingling increased and became unbearable, I had white lumps and red patches all over my legs, the staff put vinegar on my legs but I was in pain until midnight. I believe jelly fish stings had stuck to the fencing in the water and they stung me- I would definitely give this trip a miss.

[psmarkle]

We did this tour 4 years ago but booked directly, not thru NCL. Was it good...absolutely! My wife, young daughter, and brother- and sister-in-laws did the dolphin explore pkg where you get to kiss and pet the dolphins. My son and I did the upgraded pkg where you get to surf on the dolphins noses...and we were the only 2 people in that pool, so we got to spend a lot more time with them. It's still ranks as one of the best excursions we've done on a cruise...ahhh, the memories!

[momckb]

The BEST tour from Tortola is to go over to The Baths on Virgin Gorda. It's not expensive, but it is an amazing experience with 2 beautiful beaches and some challenging climbing through the caves. Afterwards, at the top near the parking lot, there is a restaurant that serves the BEST pina coladas I've ever had!

 

How is the climb "challenging?" I was hoping to do this but now I'm nervous that I am too out of shape. :eek:

[met195]

I agree its all about how they treat the animals. Thank you

[SissasMomE]

I agree its all about how they treat the animals. Thank you

 

No animal should be caged and forced to perform for your enjoyment. Do your research before giving money to these organizations.

[LMaxwell]

The BEST tour from Tortola is to go over to The Baths on Virgin Gorda. It's not expensive, but it is an amazing experience with 2 beautiful beaches and some challenging climbing through the caves. Afterwards, at the top near the parking lot, there is a restaurant that serves the BEST pina coladas I've ever had!

 

Agreed. VERY unique experience. Far superior to a dolphin swim, IMO. If a dolphin swim is a "must" I'd save it for a different port and take advantage of The Baths instead when at Tortola.

[LMaxwell]

How is the climb "challenging?" I was hoping to do this but now I'm nervous that I am too out of shape. :eek:

 

Some of the spots in the cave require ducking or squeezing through. Some of the trickier spots have steps/stairs added but still require physical ability to navigate. Able bodied is definitely required, athletic not so much.

[rbrugler]

The dolphin swim was great. Compare prices thru NCL and private vendors. It is not far from port, so getting back on time is not an issue. The pictures were too pricey for us, but I would go again. I cannot do Virgin Gorda due to leg issues, but my wife and sister in law did. They loved it. Sunny Caribbe is awesome for spices and herb teas.

[Nini_1979]

The dolphin swim was great. Compare prices thru NCL and private vendors. It is not far from port, so getting back on time is not an issue. The pictures were too pricey for us, but I would go again. I cannot do Virgin Gorda due to leg issues, but my wife and sister in law did. They loved it. Sunny Caribbe is awesome for spices and herb teas.

 

Four of us are booked on the ncl gem, stopping in Tortola 30th nov. We are only in port 7am-1pm. We have booked the dolphin swim independently for 10am. Will this be doable? Will we have enough time to get back to ship. Any advise on organising taxis?

Thanks :)

[tempus137]

We did the dolphin swim on the Dawn in 2006. Great fun, especially when the dolphin drags you through the water as you hold on to its dorsal fin.

[blackwing]

We are booked on the Escape for the 3/26 sailing. My 6 year old daughter has talked for months about how her dream is to swim with dolphins.

 

The best place to do this seems to be Tortola. I looked at the excursions offered by NCL on Tortola and Nassau, and the only ones they offer seem to be of the "stand in the water and pet them variety". I told my daughter there are some where you can hold onto their fins and they pull you a little bit, and she really wants to do that one.

 

So it looks like Dolphin Discovery in Tortola, the Royal Swim for us. We are in Tortola from 7 AM to 3 PM so I will look into a 10 AM booking. My biggest fear in booking independently of the ship is issues with delays/transportation.

 

Is it easy to get a cab from the port to this place?

 

I see that some people view these dolphin encounters as inhumane, but please, while I respect that some people don't agree with them, I am not here to debate that. I'm just a father trying to make his little girl's dream come true. :)