The Truth About Swimming With Dolphins

The feature story of Sunday’s New York Times Magazine was about a group of whales off the coast of Baja, Mexico that seems to enjoy interacting with humans. Each winter and early spring gray whales arrive to the lagoons off Baja’s western coast and give birth and nurse their calves before migrating northward to colder waters.

Oddly, it’s the period shortly after the whales have given birth that they have chosen to rub up against boats and the people in them.

Whale and dolphin expert Dr. Toni Frohoff said in the story:

It’s extraordinary… At precisely the time when you’d expect them to be the most defensive, they’re incredibly social. They’ll come right up to boats, let people touch their faces, give them massages, rub their mouths and tongues.

Whales and dolphins are so mysterious. They seem to have the capacity to interact with humans on a physical and intellectual level.

The story made me think about how my own kids had just experienced swimming with a dolphin at a water park outside of Puerto Vallarta. A day after they had done it, an eco-tour guide told me that swimming with dolphins in a captive setting was controversial practice among animal rights groups and conservationists.

Dolphins Fare Better in Wild. A positive aspect of the activity is that it raises awareness about what incredible animals dolphins are, he said. But he added that dolphins tend to fare better in the wild.

By one estimate there are at least 200 captive dolphin exhibits in more than 60 countries, according to the book Frohoff’s co-authored Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication. The U.S. Humane Society says that there are 18 facilities that offer swim-with-the-dolphin activities in the United States.

But Frohoff’s book notes that many of these countries have few, if any, legal requirements governing the welfare of dolphins held in captivity.

Studies of captive swim-with-the-dolphins programs show that the dolphins in these programs show stress and avoidance related behaviors, the book says. The U.S. Humane Society, which opposes these activities, says there have been times when a dolphin has acted aggressively toward a human in a captive setting.

For my next trip, I resolve to merely observe dolphins in the wild. It’s most likely safer and less expensive than swimming with them. That won’t change the fact that Dolphins are incredible animals– even when viewed from a safe distance.

Photo by Ballgame68 (Via Creative Commons)