I recently went on a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Besides sitting on the beach drinking Pina Coladas & eating chilaquiles (my new favorite Mexican dish), swimming with dolphins was the only other activity on the agenda. Lucky enough, my girlfriend & her 1-month-old boyfriend sat through the torture of a 3-hour time-share seminar (God bless new boyfriends trying to impress the girlfriends best friend!).
They were able to score 4 tickets to the Dolphin Experience at Vallarta Adventures for $130! The usual cost is about $120 per person.
Swim with Dolphins in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
The dolphins were kept in large pools (similar to swimming pools). I was worried that it would make me feel sad that they were contained, but they seemed to be having fun. A few were just playing ball with each other with no trainers around.
We stood on a platform in the pool and, for all you wimps (myself included), the water was cold! I sucked it up, still continuously jittering, because this was an experience I couldn’t pass up! We were able to ride the dolphin, get a kiss, dance and feed it a slimy fish. For more money there were more intimate (not that intimate… gross… get your mind out of the gutter!) experiences available, but I was pleased with the interaction we had. This could be due to the fact that my teeth were chattering and I needed to get the heck out of that pool. Everyone with me agreed that we don’t need to do it again, but it was totally worth the check on my bucket list!
The only bummer, next to the freezing agua and the perks that come with it, is that they don’t allow cameras in the dolphin area, so their photographer took all of the photos & you had to purchase them if you wanted any record of your experience. The four of us shared the expense and paid $99 for 8 photos on cd. Ok, now I’m feeling kind of ripped off.
PS: Dolphin Discovery is a place you can do it.
Is Swimming with Dolphins on your bucket list?
Traveling Soon? Use my Favorite Resources for Booking Your Trip!
Book Your Flight
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Book Your Accommodations
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Book Some Fun Tours!
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Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel can be unpredictable. Whether it’s a last-minute cancellation, an injury, or (ugh) theft, things happen. That’s why I recommend never leaving the country without travel insurance. Here are my faves: Safety Wing and World Nomads.
Get Packing & Travel Essentials Ready
Check out the Bucket List Journey Amazon Store to find all my favorite travel essentials. Everything from Packing cubes, to travel adapters and toiletry containers to walking shoes.
*Lastly, check travel.state.gov for visa requirements and safety information.
OTHER PLACES FOR SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS
Miami Seaquarium
Dolphin Quest, Bermuda & Hawaii
Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida
This looks amazing. What an amazing experience! Apart from the general coldness.. This is on my bucket list as well. Hehe.
It was a great and memorable time! I hope you check this one off your list too :)
Sounds awesome! I also swam with dolphins, but we did it in Florida…and the water definitely wasn't freezing. haha. Thanks for all the ideas for my bucket list though! You certainly do have quite the list! :) Please feel free to check out my site and spread the word some. Thanks!
Checked out your great site! I look forward to reading about your adventures!