A swim with dolphins is a very personal experience
Careful vacation planning plays an important role in any successful vacation budget. One of the most popular vacation excursions today is doing a dolphin encounter or doing a swim with dolphins. These are offered in many tourist destinations all over the Caribbean and Mexico. You can even do them in Florida and Hawaii so they are not limited to exotic places. They are an extremely popular choice and for good reason. They are really memorable but they are not cheap so you want to be sure to choose a good tour operator on your vacation. A popular tourist destination and cruise port is Nassau Bahamas. There are two very reputable dolphin excursions in Nassau Bahamas to choose from if you are planning a trip to the Bahamas. One is located at Atlantis Bahamas and the other is called Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon Island. Here are some of the things to consider when choosing between these two tour operators.
Instructions
1. First, both the Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon and the Atlantis Bahamas tours offer "encounters" and "swims" so make sure you compare the same type of excursions to each other. The encounters are always cheaper than the swim with dolphins and are good for younger kids or people who are not comfortable in deep water. The swim with dolphins offers a longer, more personal experience but they do require that you spend most of the time in deep water (about 30 ft.). Although it is in a controlled environment and you will be wearing life vests some people are still nervous about the idea of going in the deeper water with these beautiful creatures so this is just something else to consider in your decision.
2. Let's talk about the dolphin encounters first. At either place the "encounters" are always held in shallow, waist deep water, usually on a platform. They tend to be a little less personal than the swim with dolphins because the groups are usually a little bigger for these. On an encounter you get to pet the dolphins and see them perform a few tricks & such up close. The dolphins will swim right up to you as you stand on the platform so that you can pet them and interact.
3. Now let's cover the swim with dolphins. The swims are always held in deep water, and they last a little longer than the encounters. They are done in smaller groups so that each person has more one-on-one time with the dolphins. Because they are held in smaller groups they also book up faster so you should reserve well ahead of time. On a swim with dolphins you spend about an hour in the water with the dolphins, swimming, petting, feeding, dancing & getting kisses. Both Dolphin Encounters and Atlantis Bahamas finish their swims with a "foot push" which is where the dolphins push you through the water with their noses on the bottoms your feet. It's a very cool experience. At Atlantis Bahamas they also use an underwater hand scooter on the swim so you must be a good swimmer to participate in this one.
4. Consider the ages of everyone in your party. At Atlantis Bahamas there is no minimum age for the dolphin encounter while their minimum age is 10 for their swim with dolphins. In comparison, Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon Island has a minimum age of 3 for their dolphin encounter (free until age 4). The minimum age for their swim with dolphins is 6 at Blue Lagoon Island.
5. Atlantis Bahamas is located right in Nassau so you can get there quickly by taxi from just about anywhere on the island. You have to take a catamaran from the Ferry Terminal to Blue Lagoon Island so the excursions there last a total of 3 - 3 1/2 hours including the trip over to the island and back to the terminal. (You will need to take a taxi to the Ferry Terminal to catch the ferry.) The Blue Lagoon price includes the catamaran transportation to the island and back to Nassau but not your taxi to the terminal.
6. The Atlantis Bahamas charges different rates during different "seasons" while Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon is one price all year long. The Atlantis price in April 2010 for example is $105 for the encounter and $167 for the swim. In July, 2010 their price is $140 for the encounter and $184 for the swim. You can book your dolphin excursion at Atlantis Bahamas by telephone toll-free at 888-877-7525. Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon Island has a convenient website that you can use to book your own excursion (see link in the Resources Section below). Their current prices (as of September 2009) are $98 for the encounter and $185 for their swim with dolphins. After detailed instructions, the allotted time for the encounter is about 30 min. in the water and about an hour for the swim.
7. Both of these dolphin tour operators will charge your credit card in full at the time the reservations are made. The encounters and swims are held rain or shine and are only cancelled if the weather is bad enough to be considered unsafe to be in the water.
Tags: Atlantis Bahamas, Blue Lagoon, with dolphins, swim with, swim with dolphins, Blue Lagoon Island