Swim with Dolphins in Hawaii
Swimming with dolphins in Hawaii will make your vacation a truly unforgettable
one. Hawaii’s water is richly inhabited with eight species of dolphins,
among which the bottlenose and the spinner dolphins are the most common
ones.
Swimming with dolphins is one of the most desirable activities for everyone
who comes to Hawaii. There are several companies on Oahu and the Big
Island that offer a real swim with dolphins in the wild. However, there
are many other companies on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island who
offer dolphin watching tours from aboard a boat. These tours usually
go in combination with snorkeling, scuba diving, snuba or any other
water sport.
Swim with Dolphins in the Ocean
Dolphins are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and it is
against the law to come closer than 50 yards (45 m) to them. However,
this does not mean they can not approach you. The dolphins are friendly
and they may choose to come close to you and check you out. But if they
prefer to keep a distance, you should not swim close to them to hug
or pet them.
Some of the swimming with dolphins companies offer a guaranteed swim
with dolphins, which means that if you don’t get the chance to swim
with dolphins on your tour, they will give you another tour for free
until you get to swim with them.
During the winter season, the whales come to Hawaii. So besides dolphins,
you will get the chance to see many humpback whales as well.
Swim with Dolphins in a Park
If you want to make your Hawaii dolphin adventure guaranteed and unforgettable
from the first swim, you might want to visit the Sea Life Park on Oahu.
They have special dolphin programs that allow you to literally swim,
hug, pet and even kiss the dolphins. There you will learn about the
dolphins, their habits and the most important – you will really swim
with them! At the Sea Life Park, you can interact with dolphins and
also with other members of Hawaii’s marine life, such as sea lions,
sea turtles, penguins and more. The park has a combo dolphin-luau package
as well. It combines a dolphin swim adventure with an authentic Hawaiian
luau in the park.
Dolphin Educational Programs
Kahala Hotel & Resort’s natural lagoons are home to six Atlantis Bottlenose
dolphins. A marine research and educational center called Dolphin Quest
is based there. The Dolphin Quest trainers offer daily education programs,
where you can learn about the dolphins and get close to them in the
water. The Dolphin Quest program is a unique opportunity to understand
why dolphins are considered to be one of the most intelligent and fascinating
creatures.
There is a free dolphin show at the hotel at 3 p.m. as well. It is for
those of you who want to see the dolphins in action – playing,
jumping and performing tricks in the water.
The Bottlenose Dolphin
The bottlenose dolphin is the most common type of dolphin and it inhabits
warm waters. Its name comes from its elongated upper and lower jaws.
Its native color is gray. The top part of the dolphin near the dorsal
fin is dark gray, and the bottom part is light gray or white. The size
of an adult bottlenose dolphin varies from 6 to 13 feet (2 to 4 m),
and it is known that males are slightly longer than females. The average
dolphin’s weight is from 440 to 600 pounds (200 to 300 kg).
The dolphin’s swim speed is known to be 3-6 miles (5-11 km) per hour.
But if they want, they can swim much faster and reach a speed of 21
miles (35 km) per hour. However, if they develop such a high speed,
it lasts just for a short while. The bottlenose dolphin breathes through
its blowhole located on the top of the head. Every 5-8 minutes it rises
up to the surface to breath through it.
Bottlenose dolphins usually live in small groups (up to 12 dolphins),
called pods. Pods contain mainly females and their children. These are
steady groups and they stay together for a long time. Male dolphins
usually travel in 2-3 dolphins per group and join the pods for a short
time. Sometimes several pods merge together and form a larger group
of dolphins.
The bottlenose dolphin is known as a loving and friendly creature. They
often get close to people. Their intention is just to get to know them
and make friends. There are many cases when they have even rescued injured
divers in the ocean. That’s why dolphins have been called Man's best
friend of the sea.
Hawaii is one of the best places in the world where you can get close
to bottlenose dolphins.
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