possibility of seeing/swimming with dolphins in the wild?

[Kristianmom3x]

My daughter and I did a dolphin swim last year in the Bahamas. We are doing a southern Caribbean cruise later this year and really want to swim with them again, but after our last cruise I was enlightened about the capture/treatment etc. This is probably a long shot, but has anyone ever actually seen dolphins while at a beach or on a snorkeling excursion? If so, where, where, where??? Wondering what kind of a slim chance we may have of seeing them and satisfying our urge without actually supporting the "dolphin swim" programs. We are leaving from NYC and the ports we will be visiting are: Puerto Rico/ St. Thomas/ Tortola/ St. Maarten/ Martinique/ St. Lucia/ Barbados and St. Kitts.....

 

Also while on the subject, has anyone seen dolphins or whales while on the cruise ship? We didn't see any on our Bahamas cruise but it would be a highlight for us! I'm just a big kid at heart and am fascinated with dolphins and whales but don't want to encourage the cruel art of captivity by participating in the dolphin swim programs anymore. Any info would be great!

[Karysa]

My daughter and I did a dolphin swim last year in the Bahamas. We are doing a southern Caribbean cruise later this year and really want to swim with them again, but after our last cruise I was enlightened about the capture/treatment etc. This is probably a long shot, but has anyone ever actually seen dolphins while at a beach or on a snorkeling excursion? If so, where, where, where??? Wondering what kind of a slim chance we may have of seeing them and satisfying our urge without actually supporting the "dolphin swim" programs. We are leaving from NYC and the ports we will be visiting are: Puerto Rico/ St. Thomas/ Tortola/ St. Maarten/ Martinique/ St. Lucia/ Barbados and St. Kitts.....

 

Also while on the subject, has anyone seen dolphins or whales while on the cruise ship? We didn't see any on our Bahamas cruise but it would be a highlight for us! I'm just a big kid at heart and am fascinated with dolphins and whales but don't want to encourage the cruel art of captivity by participating in the dolphin swim programs anymore. Any info would be great!

 

 

We have seen dolphins while on a cruise at the back of the ship while in port and also while on an excursion in Belize. We went whale watching in Samana, DR last week with a company that does research on every one of their tours and we saw several whales. Im glad to hear that you want to enjoy these beautiful mammals in their natural habitat. I love seeing them there as well.

[titangas]

My daughter and I did a dolphin swim last year in the Bahamas. We are doing a southern Caribbean cruise later this year and really want to swim with them again, but after our last cruise I was enlightened about the capture/treatment etc. This is probably a long shot, but has anyone ever actually seen dolphins while at a beach or on a snorkeling excursion? If so, where, where, where??? Wondering what kind of a slim chance we may have of seeing them and satisfying our urge without actually supporting the "dolphin swim" programs. We are leaving from NYC and the ports we will be visiting are: Puerto Rico/ St. Thomas/ Tortola/ St. Maarten/ Martinique/ St. Lucia/ Barbados and St. Kitts.....

 

Also while on the subject, has anyone seen dolphins or whales while on the cruise ship? We didn't see any on our Bahamas cruise but it would be a highlight for us! I'm just a big kid at heart and am fascinated with dolphins and whales but don't want to encourage the cruel art of captivity by participating in the dolphin swim programs anymore. Any info would be great!

 

 

As far as seeing Dolphins from a cruise ship, sailing on the Disney Magic out of Port Canaveral -- there were 3 dolphins swimming along side the ship as it was leaving the port almost directly below our balcony.

 

We still joke that they were Disney animatronic as my 6 year old was just saying "maybe we will see some dolphins" and I was like maybe sweetheart while thinking "no way" and poof they appeared.

[cb at sea]

It's rare....dolphins like shore areas....If you ever get to Va. beach, they are offshore almost all day long, every day. Pods of them! When you are in the open ocean, sightings of anything...even other ships, are hard to see! Bring binoculars, and hope for the best!

Edited February 25, 2016 by cb at sea

[barnacle_boy]

Clearly there can be no guarantee of seeing dolphins and whales at sea, but the possibility exists. I've seen both in the Caribbean on several occasions. Dolphins enjoy the waves caused by the ship's displacement as it moves through the water, so occasionally you'll see a few dolphins swimming and jumping alongside. To a large extent, it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time. If dolphins are jumping for 15 minutes, but you're engaged in another activity onboard, well...

[meatball_nyc]

Greetings,

 

We had great dolphin school sightings on our last 3 cruises out of NYC.

On our way back from the Bahamas and Virgin Islands (different trips), it seemed like they were racing against the ship.

The ship staff got nervous when the entire BA H2O bar clientele raced to the railing to watch the school of dolphins....pointing to the ocean..... Wow. Look at the dolphins!!!

Very cool and no binoculars needed :)

Happy Sailing!

[Kristianmom3x]

Thanks for the replies! I'm so hoping to see some on the ship :) Good to know that there is a good possibility of seeing them at VA Beach! I know where we will be spending our summer vacation this year! We spent ALOT of money on a dolphin tour in Ocean City NJ last year and didn't see anything at all :( The tour that was returning just before us saw a ton of them and they were gone by the time we got to the same spot.. We've been on several whale watches out of New Hampshire and have seen lots and lots of whales at Stellwagen Bank but NEVER have seen a dolphin in the wild. Maybe this time- here's hoping!

[barnacle_boy]

For what it's worth, I personally applaud your decision to not patronize businesses that deal with dolphins and whales in captivity. A lot of the programs in the Caribbean get their dolphins from Japan through brutal means. Kind of takes the fun out of it when you realize that the dolphin you're swimming with probably had the majority of their family murdered in the harvesting process.

Edited February 25, 2016 by barnacle_boy

[Gershep]

We have been lucky to see dolphins on every cruise, just keep your eyes open.

[Smurfette27]

If you ever go to Key West be sure to look up Captain Sherry's dolphin adventures! She takes you out on her private boat to some great snorkelling sites and to see dolphins up close in their natural habitat. It was our best cruise day ever, by far! Dolphin pods swam all around the boat. Truly incredible.

 

You can't swim with them though. There are very strict laws about it apparently but you get to enjoy them regardless. We even saw a manatee too! I highly recommend her to anyone heading to Key West.

 

And kudos to you for not giving your money to establishments that force these beautiful creatures to spend their life in a tank, performing simply for our own selfish needs.[emoji106]

[loxley]

I happen to know for a fact the dolphins at the national park in cozumel are released every evening. We were staying at a hotel there and was outside watching dive boats. About 12 divers had just gone in when suddenly there were dolphins everywhere playing with the divers. The divers started popping up to the surface to have a look at them. The dolphins played and jumped for a while then headed off. I asked the waiter at the pool about them and he said the park released them every night and they came back in the morning. He said sometimes they would stop and play with any divers in the area before they headed out. Those divers got a real treat that day and so did we.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[billssprinklers]

My daughter and I did a dolphin swim last year in the Bahamas. We are doing a southern Caribbean cruise later this year and really want to swim with them again, but after our last cruise I was enlightened about the capture/treatment etc. This is probably a long shot, but has anyone ever actually seen dolphins while at a beach or on a snorkeling excursion? If so, where, where, where??? Wondering what kind of a slim chance we may have of seeing them and satisfying our urge without actually supporting the "dolphin swim" programs. We are leaving from NYC and the ports we will be visiting are: Puerto Rico/ St. Thomas/ Tortola/ St. Maarten/ Martinique/ St. Lucia/ Barbados and St. Kitts.....

 

Also while on the subject, has anyone seen dolphins or whales while on the cruise ship? We didn't see any on our Bahamas cruise but it would be a highlight for us! I'm just a big kid at heart and am fascinated with dolphins and whales but don't want to encourage the cruel art of captivity by participating in the dolphin swim programs anymore. Any info would be great!

 

We were on a cat cruise excursion on the Celebrity Summit Jan of this year. Had a great excursion and sailed with dolphins from Martinique. Kata Mambo was the operator. They talk to other boats locate the Dolphins whereabouts.[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[billssprinklers]

Still figuring out adding pics. Other dolphin pic.

[Keith1010]

We've seen them from the ship.

 

Keith

[mjkacmom]

I think we've seen dolphins from the beach every time we have vacationed in Wildwood.

[Lady Arwen]

Thank you, thank you!!! I wish everyone was as concerned as you regarding the welfare of dolphins/whales. The killing of the baby dolphin recently shows what happens when a few idiots forget that they're dealing with a live creature. Let's enjoy them in their own habitat.

[buckeyefrank]

The dolphins used for excursions in Curacao are free to come and go as they please at anytime. They are not locked up at any time. The trainers said one of them will take off for a week or so and then return.

[sparks1093]

We've seen them from our balcony every time we've had a balcony and I'm afraid that now means that we always have to have a balcony from here on out. DW loves dolphins.

[skeeter195]

We have seen them on every cruise we have taken out of NY. We see them the most between VA and FL. The best times always seem to be just before and just after sunrise. We are always looking for them.

 

On one cruise in November of 2013 the ocean was so flat(not even a ripple) just north of Cape Hatteras we saw at least 50 pods of dolphins. Each pod had between 3 and 15 dolphins each. They were mostly just laying on top of the water, it looked like they were sleeping. One would jump here and there and then the whole pod would start jumping. The ship was going very slow and we were able to watch this for about 30 minutes, something we will never forget.

[Turtles06]

Here are some killer whales and a breaching humpback, some of the many whales we saw in Antarctica from the deck of the Nat Geo/Lindblad Explorer. :)

 

 

 

 

(photos by turtles06)

Edited February 25, 2016 by Turtles06

[Kristianmom3x]

Thanks again for the tips! We will Def bring binoculars and keep our eyes peeled toward the back of the boat! Appreciate the tips on the time of day and locations along the east coast!! Glad to know I'm not alone in my fascination with large sea life!

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

my family and I saw whales and dolphins in Boston, Mass. while on a whale watching excursion. the dolphins are very playful and will jump around the boats. many years ago while jet skiing in Daytona, a dolphin was following my every move playing and chasing my every turn... they are sweet mammals

[karenj4546]

We were in Moorea and went on Dr. Poole's dolphin excursion (not associated with a cruise-line). He'd told us to bring snorkeling gear, so we ASSUMED that we'd be snorkeling with Dolphins. No, he said that that isn't safe, as dolphins, humans, and pigs are all prone to gang-rape. Instead, we got to snorkel with humpback whales! Here's more info..... https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g309685-d1160332-Reviews-Dr_Poole_s_Dolphin_and_Whale_Tour-Moorea_Society_Islands.html

[rosebuds]

We looked over the rails at the bow of Celebrity Century on a transatlantic cruise. A pod of dolphins were enjoying a free ride on the bow waves :). We've had a good look in other areas known for whales, but with no luck.