So we got to go on a cruise, which meant we got to do my all time favorite experience ever. I got to swim with dolphins! Well, a dolphin. Who was perfect. I wasn’t sure what to expect and was a little hesitant when I actually arrived at our excursion. Because as I mentioned in an earlier blog post, all animals captive and wild can be aggressive and even dangerous. However, I had a lovely time once I relaxed a little bit! We opted for a shore excursion that bundled Stingray City (where we got to actually swim with stingrays) and the Dolphin Swim experience from Dolphinaris. Below is what I experienced and felt was valuable to share.

What It’s Really Like to Swim With Dolphins in the Grand Cayman Islands

What To Do BEFORE You Leave the Ship

Now similarly to the Stingray City Tour there are few recommendations that are helpful to make your trip a little more stress free.

• Apply Reef-Safe Sunscreen Liberally – Because of the marine life present (i.e. dolphins) you could only apply sunscreen in a designated area near the front of the excursion building. Even though during a brief waiting time you will be under a tented canopy you’ll spend the whole of your actual excursion in the sun. So it’s best to be prepared by utilizing a sunscreen that is reef-safe before you leave the boat.
• Collect Necessary Documents & Items 
  • Seapass
  • Valid Government-Issued Photo ID
  • Water Shoes
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Swimsuit & Cover Up (worn off boat)
  • Petty Cash (Tipping & Small Souvenirs)
  • Credit Card (Larger Souvenirs)
  • Towel Borrowed From Cruise Ship

What To Expect

Tour Lay-Out

Because we bought a combo tour with the Stingray City package our day may look a little different than yours. we did the Stingray City portion between the bus ride to Dolphinaris and swimming with the dolphins. However, I have listed the dolphin excursion information below.

• 10-15 minute dingy ride to the port
• 10  minute bus ride to Dolphinaris
• 30 minutes of swimming with the dolphins
• 25-30 minutes of shopping
• 10  minute bus ride to port
• 10-15 minute dingy ride to the boat

Facilities & Snacks

At Dolphinaris they have bathrooms that you can use as well as change in if you didn’t leave the boat in your swimsuit. They also provide lockers at the Grand Cayman location free of charge to place your items into. You will leave everything in there. We’re talking your towels, your bag, and any electronics. You can wear your water shoes out to the miniature pier and will leave them before you ever enter the pool. I find that a good pair of water shoes are far more reliable and comfortable than some cheap flip flops.

Dolphinaris also has a small snack counter. They have littler bags of Amos cookies, Cheezits, etc. as well as bottled beverages and even some warm food like hot dogs. I bought a granola bar for two dollars, but the hotdog combo with a drink was eight dollars. So not incredibly overpriced which was nice!

Dolphinaris also has a gift shop. There is a separate room where you can view your photos (we’ll talk more about this below) and then another portion with Dolphinaris branded knickknacks. We were probably in the gift shop about twenty minutes but the bus will wait for your portion of the tour within reason. Or another bus will be sent later.

Photos With the Dolphins

Initially you are divided into groups with your trainer and photographer and then that photographer will stick with you the entire time. They take quite a few photos! They are also super high quality.

On the left hand side of the gift shop there is a large room with several computers with large looming monitors. Once you enter your tour time and group you can view your photos. Then you can select which ones you want prints of or digital copies.

But you need to be prepared for the cost of the photos if they are not included in your package.

For instance for 1 photo you would pay $38. Or, you could have an entire CD of all of the photos you want from your session for $170.

My mother-in-law purchased a CD with over 7o photos on it for a birthday present for myself and her daughter which was incredibly sweet!

Basically I would recommend you either bundle your dolphin swim with the photos ahead of time or be prepared for the sticker shock and can budget your cruise excursions realistically. If you’re part of a larger group, it may make fiscal sense to just buy a CD. If you only want a few of yourself then a swim package with photos included might be more affordable for what you get.

Dolphinaris Atmosphere

As I mentioned you can only be in a swimsuit to swim with the dolphins. No jewelry, etc. can be around because it could harm the dolphins. You’ll walk out onto a pier and after a few introductory photos you will step onto a platform with water up to your knees. It is at this point that your trainer in a wetsuit-like shirt and shorts combo, hat, whistle and fanny pack filled with iced fish will introduce themselves and direct a dolphin towards your group.

If you do the dolphin swim package we booked through Royal Carribean you will get to:

• Touch the dolphin as it swims by multiple times.
• Let the dolphin pull you belly to belly across the cove.
• Get dolphin kisses on the cheek and mouth.
• Be pushed on a boogy board across the cove.
• Be photographed holding, kissing and swimming with the dolphin.
• Also eat dolphin-water, see most attractive photo known to earth below:

Standard Tipping

It is very common to tip your tour guides. And you should be tipping your tour guides if they provide a good experience! We tipped with a flat rate for the amount of people in our group. Five dollars per person was common for us and seemed to be plenty. Or you could calculate out about 20%.

Some Fun Facts About Dolphins/Dolphinaris

1. The Dolphins at Dolphinaris are raised in captivity. So most would not survive if they were released into the wild. Dolphins like most other wild animals tend to live longer in captivity, and can live for up to fifty years at Dolphinaris under human care.
2. Not only do the trainers care deeply about the dolphins, but the facility checks their health daily and the dolphins even get a monthly blood test reviewed by veterinarians.
3. Trainers at the facility need lots of hands on experience to move to that stage in their career. Our trainer, O’Neil, had worked with dolphins at Dolphinaris for fourteen years to advance to his current position.
4. Dolphins can push up to three times their body weight, so don’t be surprised if your boogy board push and pull is quick!
5. Dolphins don’t have vocal cords, so all those amazing sound they create are made through nasal passages.
6. To do the swimming part you will have to swim out to the cove. And yes, it’s deep. But don’t be afraid, you’re enclosed from the ocean even though an occasional small fish might slip in.

Dolphin Swim Vs. Dolphin Encounter

I can’t speak for those that did the Dolphin encounter. There were probably about five or six other trainers there while we were each with an accompanying dolphin. But for me personally, if we were already going to lay down a pretty substantial amount of money to pet them we opted to pay a little more and be able to swim with them. Just my two cents.

This was a lovely experience, and even though it did cause me to lose my fake eyelashes (don’t worry, they just came they didn’t actually get lost in the cove) it was one I will never forget! Listening to Lucky’s clicks and other vocal noises as he welcomed us into the cove brought tears to my eyes.

Have you ever swam with the dolphins? What was your experience?

If you aren’t cruising but still want to do this excursion through the same company you can book here! Want to learn more about all of our adventures? We’ve put together posts about the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque and even Swimming With Stingrays!

Thanks for reading!

Lauren