Dolphin Encounter versus Dolphin Swim in Bahamas

[SuiteLady]

I am looking for anyone that has done these excursions and what is the big difference, besides the encounter being a little cheaper?  I am looking at doing the encounter and was wondering how that was and how much you were able to interact with the dolphins?  I will be with my mother and wanted to know if it was easy to get in and out of the water?  Ladder?  Ramp?  Thanks for any feedback!

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Read about it:

Dolphin cruelty

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D4KRD8e20fBo&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjr_eGYldjiAhVN-6QKHek9C9YQtwIwAHoECAoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3-FjFL6AqADRo_jznLLeyd

[h20skibum]

We did the dolphin encounter a couple years ago, when we were there on the Celebrity Summit.  They are usually the same excursions that are provided by Royal.  The one we had was at Blue Lagoon.

 

There is a little write up I did about it in a trip report I did for that cruise.  You can read about it here,

 

 

[LeeW]

There are several dolphin areas in Nassau.  The most expensive is at Atlantis, but there are also encounters at Blue Lagoon and Balmoral Island.  The latter two are ladder entries into fairly small enclosures.  Atlantis uses a "beach" entry (fake beach in large pool).  

 

We've done Atlantis and have just seen people doing the others.  Atlantis has you wear a wet suit and line up on a submerged ledge.  The dolphins come by and do various behaviors with you.  We took a 3 1/2 year old granddaughter with us to this one. The swimming encounters do more - dorsal fin pull and float push.  Full swim encounters may be in deep water and even do a roman ride on two dolphins.  Surprisingly easy - the dolphins are strong, stable platforms to stand on and seem to love dumping you at the end.

 

Simplest and cheapest encounter includes a kiss, fin touch "dancing" and a chance to pat the dolphin as it swims by.  

[Brooklyn Bridget]

Dolphin swim you get to be pushed forward in the water and into the air by dolphins.  Encounter, you get to kiss and rub noses and shake fins.   Both will provide an expensive photo op. 

Edited June 8, 2019 by Brooklyn Bridget

[SuiteLady]

On ‎6‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 7:28 PM, h20skibum said:

We did the dolphin encounter a couple years ago, when we were there on the Celebrity Summit.  They are usually the same excursions that are provided by Royal.  The one we had was at Blue Lagoon.

 

There is a little write up I did about it in a trip report I did for that cruise.  You can read about it here,

 

 

Thank you!  So did you feel it was worth it, in terms of what you got to do and the time spent?  I know it is mostly about paying for something that you do not get to do everyday......and how long was the boat ride to get to Blue Lagoon?

Edited June 10, 2019 by SuiteLady

[Thorben-Hendrik]

 I sure wish they would make everybody that is going for a dolphin swim watch "The Cove"https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4KRD8e20fBo make them hear how the dolphin moms cry and scream when they capture their babies to put them in an aquarium to be trained to be tortured by tourists for their entertainment! 😭

[h20skibum]

4 hours ago, SuiteLady said:

Thank you!  So did you feel it was worth it, in terms of what you got to do and the time spent?  I know it is mostly about paying for something that you do not get to do everyday......and how long was the boat ride to get to Blue Lagoon?

Based on the time stamp on my photos, it is about a half hour ride by boat. We had some OBC to use for it, and it was something we had never done, so it was worth it for us.  It was a one and done for us though. 

 

For a cruise we are doing next January, our friends plan to do the dolphin swim, but we will be doing something else.  

 

All the dolphins appear to be well treated here. 

 

I would much rather do this, than to swim with the pigs. 

[SuiteLady]

2 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Based on the time stamp on my photos, it is about a half hour ride by boat. We had some OBC to use for it, and it was something we had never done, so it was worth it for us.  It was a one and done for us though. 

 

For a cruise we are doing next January, our friends plan to do the dolphin swim, but we will be doing something else.  

 

All the dolphins appear to be well treated here. 

 

I would much rather do this, than to swim with the pigs. 

Thank you for your feedback!  LoL @ choosing the dolphins over the pigs.....I tend to agree!!  :)