Amazon Pink Dolphin Excursions - your experience?

[GICNJC]

Have search CC for comments and have not been able to find any.

 

Looking for individuals who have been on a Pink Dolphin excursions in Manaus to evaluate for our cruise  later this year.  Specifically the better half wants to know if it is worth it?

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, GICNJC said:

Have search CC for comments and have not been able to find any.

 

Looking for individuals who have been on a Pink Dolphin excursions in Manaus to evaluate for our cruise  later this year.  Specifically the better half wants to know if it is worth it?

No guarantee you'll ever see them on a tour. In fact, you may find it easier to see them near the ship close to shore very very early in the morning.

[Starlaker]

We went back the River Negro on a private excursion and stopped off at a platform where they feed the pink dolphins.  Some in our party got in the water and swam with them.  I just walked out on the platform and feed them.  It was definitely worth it.  We also saw them from the ship while we were docked in Manaus.  

 

[sunnies]

We also booked a private excursion to the same area to see the pink dolphins. Some of our group went in the water with them but do your research on what lurks in the river!! A fantastic day. 

[PaulMCO]

3 hours ago, sunnies said:

We also booked a private excursion to the same area to see the pink dolphins. Some of our group went in the water with them but do your research on what lurks in the river!! A fantastic day. 

Excellent suggestion. Do a Search on Candiru .

Seeing the pink dolphins is definitely a highlight of any Amazon trip..

Edited January 3, 2019 by PaulMCO

[Banti]

We did a private tour from Manaus on the Rio Negro. There were about 20 of us on a small open boat, and we sped first thing to the area where the pink dolphins are fed, as our guide said they only allow a limited number of people a day to interact with the dolphins. Our boat was the second of the day. Only about half the people on our tour would go into the water with the dolphins. I think they were afraid of encountering piranha. My husband and I both got in the water to “swim” with the pink dolphins, and that was the highlight of the entire cruise. We were probably in the water with them for about 20 minutes or so. You don’t really swim with them, as you are on an underwater platform, wearing a life jacket, standing or floating, with the water about chest deep. There were about six pink dolphins when we were there. They will bump you aside to reach the fish being offered by the guide. You can touch them and experience direct contact with them, but the dolphins are more interested in the fish than the people. Still, we loved the experience, and that is what we remember and talk about most from that 25 day cruise.

[Starlaker]

I chose not to go into the water, but not from fear of encountering piranha.  There are other unseen organisms lurking in those waters.  I saw enough in my college microbiology classes to keep me out of tropical rivers forever.

[Rob the Cruiser]

We won't be going into the water either. Our travel advisory service at Kaiser Permanente warned against swimming in the Amazon due to bacteria. 

Edited January 3, 2019 by Rob the Cruiser

[sunnies]

I forgot to mention that the two locals who were in the water with the dolphins and the tourists spent a long time under the shower after being in the water. They scrubbed and scrubbed every inch of their body. Obviously they were aware of what could be in the water. I was disappointed not swimming with the dolphins but for once I listened to my husband!!

[kreastman]

Our private tour a year ago was similar to Banti's. I chose to go into the water with the dolphins, while my wife stayed on the dock and took photos (see attached; I'm the one with his back turned to the camera). Definitely a major highlight of our 35-day cruise!

[StanandJim]

A Word to the Wise:

Don't sit on those beaches either, or if you do, make sure no skin is exposed directly to the sand  😱

[Paulchili]

9 hours ago, kreastman said:

Our private tour a year ago was similar to Banti's. I chose to go into the water with the dolphins, while my wife stayed on the dock and took photos (see attached; I'm the one with his back turned to the camera). Definitely a major highlight of our 35-day cruise!

If you hadn’t said you swam with pink dolphins I certainly couldn’t tell that they were pink from that picture 🙂

We had a lot of fun swimming with dolphins in Mexico where we could interact with them, caress them and even ride on their backs for a really fast ride - now that was fun and the water was clean.

We did see the dolphins in the Amazon (and they did look “pinkish” in the right light) but did not swim with them.

Edited January 4, 2019 by Paulchili

[jps1030]

On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 12:58 PM, sunnies said:

We also booked a private excursion to the same area to see the pink dolphins. Some of our group went in the water with them but do your research on what lurks in the river!! A fantastic day. 

Hi Sunnies, thank you for your comment.

Could you please recommend your local operator and give us his name and the website. Thank you in advance

[sunnies]

Hi jps, we are away at the moment but I will check my notes next week and see what I can find. Meg 

[basor]

We joined another couple for a private day tour that included meeting of the waters, lunch at a floating restaurant, "swimming with the pink dolphins" and a visit to an indigenous village....it was a wonderful day because of being in a small group with a large boat, driver and guide to ourselves.  As indicated above, "swimming with the dolphins" is not as imagined, if you have done so in Mexico)….you put a life vest around your waist, climb down a short ladder to a platform and stand there as a guides slaps the water with fish and brings the dolphins in to feed.  The dolphins do swim around you, between your legs, etc. but we were admonished not to touch them so strictly an up close experience not a swim.  The tour was long but we enjoyed every minute of it.   Be sure and check if there is a performance at the Opera House the night you are there - truly an experience!!

 

[RJ2002]

On 1/2/2019 at 5:56 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

No guarantee you'll ever see them on a tour. In fact, you may find it easier to see them near the ship close to shore very very early in the morning.

 

We had an amazing pink dolphin sighting at the dock at Parintins while we were waiting for the tender to return to the ship after the Boi Bumba show.  I would agree...  keep an eye out while near shore.  

[kreastman]

On January 5, 2019 at 2:07 PM, basor said:

We joined another couple for a private day tour that included meeting of the waters, lunch at a floating restaurant, "swimming with the pink dolphins" and a visit to an indigenous village....it was a wonderful day because of being in a small group with a large boat, driver and guide to ourselves.  As indicated above, "swimming with the dolphins" is not as imagined, if you have done so in Mexico)….you put a life vest around your waist, climb down a short ladder to a platform and stand there as a guides slaps the water with fish and brings the dolphins in to feed.  The dolphins do swim around you, between your legs, etc. but we were admonished not to touch them so strictly an up close experience not a swim.  The tour was long but we enjoyed every minute of it.   Be sure and check if there is a performance at the Opera House the night you are there - truly an experience!!

 

We had the same day tour, but with 4 or 5 couples. At the dolphin experience, our guide said we could touch them on their bodies, but not their heads (where their sonar is located). Their skin was very smooth.

In addition to the experiences Basor describes, we also visited a fish farm where they raise Pirarucu (which can get as large as 200 lbs.). At one of the tanks where the larger specimens are, they give you poles with baited barbless hooks and you can try to lift one partially out of the water before it jumps off the hook (see photo). 

As Basor said, it's a long day, but a totally rewarding and memorable experience.