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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