Ten Delicious Places to Dip into Diving

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Ten Delicious Places to Dip into Diving
Bahamas: Swimming With Dolphins

By Paul McMenamin

While there are a number of swim-with-dolphin programs that use captive creatures in enclosed pens, at present the Bahamas is the only place where tourists can interact with dolphins in the open ocean.

Since 1979, UNEXSO (Underwater Explorers' Society), a Freeport-based dive center, has conducted a unique program that allows humans to swim with dolphins both in saltwater pens (as assistants to the trainers) and the open ocean. The big attraction, however, is the ocean dive program. Several times a week, UNEXSO's dolphins are released to sea. The participants, who must be certified divers, board a launch to rendezvous with the dolphins at an offshore coral reef.

After being released into the ocean, UNEXSO's dolphins meet up with the dive boats a mile from the island. Under the supervision of the dolphin handlers, a group of from ten to 15 divers swim with the dolphins for about 20 minutes, taking turns interacting in close quarters with the dolphins. The dolphins are friendly and quite responsive, having been taught hand commands used by the divers. It is all fairly businesslike (the dolphins perform their duties in response to hand signals), but it is still the experience of a lifetime for most divers. UNEXSO has been criticized for keeping dolphins in captivity, but it is to be remembered that once the dolphins are released into the sea, nothing compels them to return.

For non-swimmers, UNEXSO has a Close Encounter program that may suit you. At Sanctuary Bay dolphins approach people who are standing in the water.

If UNEXSO's program seems too artificial, it is also possible to dive with wild dolphins off Grand Bahama, although contact with the creatures is not such a sure thing. One of the Bahamas' leading live-aboards, an 80-foot catamaran, makes regular seven-day trips to the shallow turquoise banks north of Grand Bahama—the favored playground of wild spotted dolphins. On a good day, dolphins surround the boat by the time the anchor is secure. Familiar with the operation, the wild mammals circle around the dive ladders, and often swim close to the divers during the entire session.

If you are interested in a more serious, multi-day dolphin encounter, take an eight-day cruises between to study wild spotted and bottlenose dolphins off Grand Bahama Island. Non-disruptive observation of dolphins is a goal on these expedition, conducted as part of an ongoing research effort, focusing primarily on the behavioral ecology of spotted dolphins. One past participant described her experience: "The water was the temperature of my skin, and I lost all sense of boundaries. A five-foot dolphin calf came to me and started corkscrew turns down to the ocean floor. I circled with him, down, then catapulted to the surface, exhausted and delighted."

Practically Speaking
Costs for these programs vary by season and desired length of stay; UNEXSO's ocean dives run approximately $125, while the Close Encounter program costs around $30 for a two-hour outing. The catamaran trip, which commonly stretches over seven days, runs about $1,200, while the observation cruises, commonly held May through September, can run as much as $2,000 for eight days.

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Next Page: Cayman Islands: The Divers' Disneyland

Paul McMenamin is the author, editor, and photo director of the original Ultimate Adventure Sourcebook.

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