Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SHOULD YOU SWIM WITH DOLPHINS?
There are five swim-with-the-dolphin (SWTD) centers in the Keys, and many more argu-
ments for and against the practice.
FOR
While SWTD sites are commercial, they are also research entities devoted to learning
more about their charges.
The dolphins raised on-site are legally obtained and have not been not captured from the
wild.
The dolphins are safe from environmental hazards often found in the wild - accidental
catches, run-ins with boats and pollution.
Dolphin swim programs increase visitors' knowledge of dolphins and promote conserva-
tion.
At places such as the
Dolphin Research Center
, the dolphins can actually swim out of
their pens into the open water, but choose not to.
AGAINST
Dolphins are social creatures that require interaction, which is impossible to provide in
captivity.
SWTD tourism encourages the capture of wild dolphins in other parts of the world.
Dolphin behavior is never 100% predictable. Dolphins can seriously injure a human, even
while playing.
SWTD centers encourage customers to think of dolphins as anthropomorphized 'friends,'
rather than wild animals.
Dolphins never appreciate captivity. Those that voluntarily remain in SWTD sites do so to
remain close to food.
SWTD CENTERS
If you decide to swim or see dolphins in the Keys, you can contact one of the following:
3-10 $30/21;
h
9:30am-5pm) has been here since 1946. Structured dolphin swims and sea-
lion programs ($135) include 30 minutes of instruction and a 30-minute supervised
swim. You can also swim with stingrays ($55).
swim programs $135-220), a Key Largo center, specializes in recreational and educational
unstructured swims. They expect you know a good deal before embarking upon the
swim, even though a classroom session is included.
