You can swim with dolphins in various places in the world. It is less known that excursions are also offered for swimming with seals. Of course you can do both, but if the budget only allows for one excursion, which one will it be? Is there a lot of difference between swimming with dolphins and swimming with seals? How does such an excursion go? And where can you go for that?
Where to swim with dolphins?
There are several dolphinariums around the world where you can swim with dolphins. However, many people strongly oppose this. First of all, animal organizations are concerned about the welfare of dolphins and other marine mammals in such parks. It is known that the animals do not grow old due to poor nutrition, poor housing and stress. Secondly, people question swimming with dolphins in such a delimited environment; there is little room for the dolphins to avoid each other and people and the chance of disease transmission is high. In addition, the dolphins can react aggressively.
If the welfare of animals is important to you, then you don’t go to a dolphinarium, but look for dolphins in the wild. There they are in their element and have control over your visit. If they don’t feel like it anymore, they will be gone in no time.
Some places where you visit the dolphins by boat:
- Australia
- Azores
- Hawaii
- Mauritius
- New Zealand (North and South Island)
Where to swim with seals?
A single dolphinarium also offers swimming with seals, but if you google for seals, you will mainly encounter swimming in open water. So in the natural element of the seals.
Some places where you can swim with seals:
- Australia
- New Zealand (South Island)
- United Kingdom
- South Africa
Pay attention: In Cornwall, tourists themselves visit the seals in large numbers. This does not go through an organized excursion. The harbor master of St Ives is very concerned, as people lure the seals with food. They can become aggressive if they are not given food. And you should always avoid an aggressive male seal, according to the harbor master. So always look for the seals under supervision. Then you will immediately receive information about how to best approach the animals.
How does such an excursion go?
Of course, every company has its own approach, but in general it goes like this.
Wetsuit
First, each participant must put on a wetsuit. This is often still ashore, but on a larger ship it can also be done on board. A wetsuit is a suit made of neoprene, a synthetic material. It’s called wetsuit, because a thin layer of water gets between your skin and the suit. In the beginning it can be cold, but in a few minutes that layer is heated by your own body heat. From that moment on, the suit no longer feels cold, but comfortable, even when the water is very cold.
In cold water you get a wetsuit with long sleeves and trouser legs. When the water is warm, the sleeves and trouser legs are short. But why would you actually put on a wetsuit in warm water? That’s because a wetsuit also keeps you afloat. It therefore takes much less effort for you to stay afloat, allowing you to give all your attention to the animals around you.
Snorkel and flippers
You will then receive a snorkel set. This consists of a mask and a snorkel, a tube that allows you to breathe through your mouth while keeping your face in the water. With a snorkel you can therefore look under water for a long time. You also get flippers on your feet to make it easier to move. But if you think they are bothering you, you can also let them go. The flippers are not essential.
Search for dolphins
The captain of the boat looks for dolphins. They do not have a permanent residence, but move in groups. These groups can be small, about ten dolphins, but also very large, several hundred dolphins. There are often several companies looking for dolphins at the same time. They keep in touch with each other via the VHF radio. They tip each other when they see dolphins and agree a sequence in which they go to the dolphins. However, keep in mind that you may not see any dolphins at all. Sometimes you can join a subsequent excursion for free, but that differs per company.
Dolphins with young
If dolphins have been found, the question is whether you can enter the water. First, it must be checked whether the dolphins have young with them. If so, and the young are still the age they are suckling, then no one is allowed into the water. The young have to suckle up to four times an hour and people lying in the water disturb that process. In the past, young have drowned because they were stressed or lost their mother, which made them unable to suckle and weakened.
Dolphins without young
However, if the signal is green, you can swim in the water and among the dolphins. In most places it is forbidden to touch the dolphins. In the first place, they are wild animals that must remain wild as much as possible; so you shouldn’t try to tame them. Second, there is always the danger of injury to the dolphin. You will only have one watch that makes a scratch. It can ignite.
Dolphins are very intelligent; this means that they are curious and can get bored quickly. Many dolphins quickly give up on those strange people and you have to do your best to keep their attention. So it is recommended to make a lot of noise, clap your hands, sing and so on. If you don’t, they’ll be gone in no time.
Dolphins are very fast anyway; they shoot under you and past you. You often see them better from the boat than when you are in the water.
Look for seals
Searching for seals is a lot easier. Actually, it is not a search, because they have a permanent place and the captain sails there directly. This is usually a rock, but it can also be a beach.
Seals with or without young
If there are young, that’s no problem. They reside on the rock, where you are not allowed to go; you would also be immediately attacked by the parents. But the water is neutral terrain and you and the seal can meet there.
That is very different from the dolphins. Where they need to be lured with sound, seals like silence. They will come up to you by themselves and look at you extensively. In doing so, they adopt various postures: lying on their side or back, or hanging upside down. Hanging face to face with a seal is an unforgettable experience. If you have an underwater camera with you, you can take beautiful pictures.
summarizing
In short it comes down to the following.
- You go on a boat in search of dolphins, or you sail directly to the seals.
- There is no guarantee that you will actually find dolphins. The whereabouts of seals, on the other hand, are known.
- There is no guarantee that you can actually swim with the dolphins. It is forbidden to enter the water if they have nursing young.
- You can always swim with seals, because their young stay on the rock. The water is neutral terrain.
- Dolphins should be occupied with clapping, singing, whistling, etc.
- Seals like silence and will come to you naturally.
- Dolphins quickly pass you through the water.
- Seals take plenty of time to watch and be watched.
