Dolphin swim... Costa Maya or Grand Cayman?

[Princess Denise]

Not sure which place is the most fun to do the dolphin swim at... I would love to hear your thoughts

 

[takstarr]

Our family just returned from the 7 day western carib where we did the Doplhin Swim/turtle farm in Grand Cayman. It was FANTASTIC! Great experience! We have done a dolphin encounter on a previous visit to Atlantis in the Bahamas and enjoyed this one much more. Much more interaction and actually got to swim with the Dolphins. Only negative from this experience is the price of the pictures taken by the staff. it was $35 per pic or 230 for picture cd They did not allow you to take your own pictures while in the water.

In Costa Maya we took a taxi to Tropicante on the beach and had a wonderful day! The food was fantastic, service was superb and the scenary was absolutely beautiful! It was one of our best port days

Hope this info helps!! Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lexandme]

Please consider doing a different excursion. The captive dolphin industry is cruel and inhumane. The dolphins are kept in a small tank and are forced to perform stupid tricks for their food. Their food is frozen fish with vitamins embedded in them. They are deprived of the natural vitamins and nutrients when they are removed from their natural habitat. Despite the "smile" they are not happy. Many become neurotic. Aside from the cruelty, it's not a safe activity. They are very large animals (up to 600 pounds) and I would never put myself or a child in a tank with one let alone up to ten dolphins. Go to seashepherd.com or watch the academy award winning film "The Cove". Please have compassion for these minds in the water.

 

[Lobofan5]

My family did Dolphin Trainer for a Day in Cozumel.

Great day! My kids were 11 and 14 then, I wouldn't recommend doing it with younger kids.

Got to spend a lot of time with the dolphins.

 

[disneydreamer82]

Our family just returned from the 7 day western carib where we did the Doplhin Swim/turtle farm in Grand Cayman. It was FANTASTIC! Great experience! We have done a dolphin encounter on a previous visit to Atlantis in the Bahamas and enjoyed this one much more. Much more interaction and actually got to swim with the Dolphins. Only negative from this experience is the price of the pictures taken by the staff. it was $35 per pic or 230 for picture cd They did not allow you to take your own pictures while in the water.

In Costa Maya we took a taxi to Tropicante on the beach and had a wonderful day! The food was fantastic, service was superb and the scenary was absolutely beautiful! It was one of our best port days

Hope this info helps!! Enjoy your cruise!

I agree about the Turtle Farm, Dolphin swim combo in Grand Cayman. We did that and also had a really great experience, but we took our camera in the water with no problems at all, took tons of our own pics!!

 

[KingRichard]

My family did Dolphin Trainer for a Day in Cozumel.

Great day! My kids were 11 and 14 then, I wouldn't recommend doing it with younger kids.

Got to spend a lot of time with the dolphins.

Look at Cozumel!

They are NOT kept in tanks but large netted pens out in the ocean. The staff told us they rotate the Dolphins to other places to keep them happy.

 

[lexandme]

Look at Cozumel!

They are NOT kept in tanks but large netted pens out in the ocean. The staff told us they rotate the Dolphins to other places to keep them happy.

They are not telling you the truth. It's a multi million dollar industry and they want to preserve it. They are kept captive. A large netted pen is not freedom. It's cruel and inhumane. They are not "happy". There is no excuse. It's a matter of time before someone, possibly a child is seriously hurt or killed. Go to a zoo and watch a large caged cat pace back and forth. Is it "happy"? Why do you think a dolphin is any different? Would you pay hundreds of dollars to put yourself or your child in a cage with a wild cat? Go on youtube and you can view videos of dolphins becoming aggressive towards humans in these tanks.
I have been to Cozumel and have witnessed the cruelty that is Dolphinarus.

 

[Princess Denise]

I am a big animal person-- I will be switching to a new activity. I just can't see Disney putting their name on a company that doesn't treat their animals well.... But, what do we know...

 

[lexandme]

I am a big animal person-- I will be switching to a new activity. I just can't see Disney putting their name on a company that doesn't treat their animals well.... But, what do we know...

Princess Denise, Thank you for your compassion and your respect for these magnificent intelligent beings! Walt Disney was a huge advocate for all animals and it is my hope that the Disney company realizes the cruelty of this activity and pulls them from their excursions. If you stand as far forward as possible when leaving port you can often see free and (happy dolphins) playing in the wake the ship makes. I have seen them many times when leaving Port Canaveral, Cozumel, Caymans. Enjoy your cruise

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

Epcot has a dolphin program that puts you in the water (tank) with dolphins. I have not done it but friends said it was amazing, respectful and focused on teaching guests about animals.

 

[lexandme]

[QUOTE="Cinder" Ella's Mom;47912979]Epcot has a dolphin program that puts you in the water (tank) with dolphins. I have not done it but friends said it was amazing, respectful and focused on teaching guests about animals.[/QUOTE]

I mean no disrespect but this is still captivity. It's not a free environment and they have no option but to swim around and around to help eleviate extreme boredom. Performing for an audience and jumping through hoops is not a normal activity for a dolphin. Neither is standing on their tails and propelling themselves through the water. Keeping these animals in captivity for "teaching and research" is a poor excuse. We know a lot about the large whales (humpback, sperm, blue, etc.) without ever keeping one in captivity! The dolphins you see at EPCOT are prisoners against their will. They should be swimming in miles of ocean rather than in a small tank.

 

[Princess Denise]

Curious.... How do you feel about Sting Ray City?

 

[lexandme]

Curious.... How do you feel about Sting Ray City?

I've never been to Stingray City so I can't really judge. From what I understand they are not held captive and are in the area only for food. I have been an advocate for whales and dolphins for almost 40 years. They are very intelligent beings and to see them killed and mistreated is a sin. Educating others about this industry is also important to me. If you know what is happening and still choose to participate that is your decision. If you want to learn more about it go to seashepherd.com or Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project at www.savejapandolphins.org. Ric was the original trainer of the "Flipper" dolphins. He stopped training when he realized how wrong it was after a dolphin died in his arms from stress. He is an incredible advocate for them now.
Thank you again Princess Denise for thinking about the dolphins

 

[nurse2011]

I would go to sting ray city. It is a sand bar about 5 miles off shore in the ocean. The sting rays come there willingly because they get fed & so they don't really have to find their own food. We went through fat fish adventures & the guides were very considerate & knowledgable about the environment. For example when we were at star fish point, the guide explained about holding the starfish under water & only allowed us to take it out of the water for a couple seconds at a time for photos.

 

[beaglefan]

I would go to Stingray City, an amazing and more natural experience with nature.

When we went to the place with the Dolphin Encounters in Cozumel (not for the dolphins, but for the beach), they were having problems with one of the dolphin babies not wanting to eat. It was so stressed that it was in captivity, that after 1+ years it would still not take food on its own. they were treating this, and the people working at the resort were yelling at people to stop taking pictures/video or they were going to take their camera.

Worried about bad press getting out, but left a lasting impression on us. These pens are small, and the dolphins are wild caught for the most part. Not a winning combination.

 

[Ginger Renae]

I would go to Stingray City, an amazing and more natural experience with nature.

When we went to the place with the Dolphin Encounters in Cozumel (not for the dolphins, but for the beach), they were having problems with one of the dolphin babies not wanting to eat. It was so stressed that it was in captivity, that after 1+ years it would still not take food on its own. they were treating this, and the people working at the resort were yelling at people to stop taking pictures/video or they were going to take their camera.

Worried about bad press getting out, but left a lasting impression on us. These pens are small, and the dolphins are wild caught for the most part. Not a winning combination.

That is awful and one of the many reasons I will never patronize such places such as SeaWorld. The confinement of their dolphins and orcas is cruel and inhumane.

I understand why people love dolphins and why they want the "swim with dolphins" experience, but I believe and hope that if people truly love these amazing animals, they would do their research on the treatment of captive dolphins. They will learn that "swim with dolphin" programs are incredibly harmful to the species.

 

[Mickey3Boys]

Went to Dolphin Cove in Grand Cayman this week! It was amazing! Combined with the Stingray trip, we couldn't ask for more. We booked on our own. They picked us up and were going to drop us back when we asked to be dropped at the Turtle Farm. We did it all! Just caught another driver/taxi on their way back to the dock. Dolphins were well cared for and it looked like a natural environment.

 

[klb418]

We will be sailing on the Fantasy June 8, and would like to know which Dolphin Excursion is the best in which port. My 18 year old would like to swim with the dolphins.

 

[txmousegirl]

We did the Dolphin swim in Costa Maya in October. I liked it because it was right at the end of the pier from walking off the ship, so there is no transportation time. We booked the very last time slot, so we were able to take advantage of the full day in the port, swim with the dolphins, then stroll back to the ship. Also, some of our pics had a very nice view of the Magic in the background.

 

[lexandme]

The only natural environment for a dolphin is the open sea.
No dolphin experience is the best. They're all the epitome of human cruelty.