Wildlife guide
The perfect introduction to getting your head around the extraordinary life on earth, and where to go to find it.
Swimming with whales & wild dolphins guide
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
"Man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars, and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reason"
Unlike captive cetaceans, meeting their wild cousins lets you discover their natural behaviour and become, for a moment, part of their underwater world. And when you realise just how much fun it is down there, you may just decide that Douglas Adams’ clever dolphins were right. Their wave surfing, deep diving, joyous song and gentle nature recall a more innocent time, one of carefree childhood frolics and storybooks where animals and people understood each other.
Swimming with these marine mammals is spiritual for some, an adrenaline rush for others, made all the more magical by the knowledge that with wild animals, encounters are on their terms. The feeling of bobbing beside a pod of spinner dolphins or snorkelling above a 40-ton humpback whose fins alone are the length of three grown men may be tough to capture on camera, but it’s sure to be imprinted on your memory for years to come. Our guide to swimming with whales and dolphins shows you how to encounter these creatures responsibly.
Swim with whales & wild dolphins if...
Don't swim with whales & wild dolphins if...
Best time to swim with whales & dolphins
Tonga
Humpback whales migrate to the tropical Tongan waters from late July to early October. Here, they give birth and suckle their calves, fattening them up before the long journey back to Antarctica. While sightings can never be guaranteed, there is a very high chance of being able to snorkel alongside them during this period – trips usually include at least five days on the water to increase the chance of this.
The Red Sea
The best destination for year-round encounters, due to the warm, dry climate and sheltered waters. Dec-Feb will be cooler and slightly less pleasant – while any school holidays will bring bigger crowds and higher prices (as well as searing heat in July-Aug) – so we recommend spring and autumn as the best months.
Watch and swim with humpback whales in the Caribbean
Discover Silver Banks- a sanctuary for marine mammals
From
£3440 to £3630
8 days
ex flights
Swim with humpback whales, Tonga
Snorkel with humpback whales in beautiful Vava'u
From
AU $5900 to AU $7250
6 days
ex flights
Madeira family holiday
Whale & Dolphin watching family activity holiday in Madeira
From
£1627
8 days
ex flights
Swimming with whales holiday in Norway
Orca & humpback snorkelling & Northern Lights near Tromso
From
NKr50500
7 days
ex flights
Polar bear & beluga whale watching tours, Canada
See beluga whales and summer polar bears
From
£11500
8 days
inc UK flights
Swim with whales in Tonga
Swim with humpback whales around Tonga's beautiful islands
From
AU $7900
8 days
ex flights
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Swimming with whales & dolphins travel advice
Advice on swimming with dolphins - responsibly
Amanda Stafford, from our supplier Whale and Dolphin Connection:
“Responsible boat tour operators allow only a very small number of people, perhaps just two, in the water at a time, keeping a certain distance, don’t stay too long in the water, lots of signals… Putting 30 people in the water at the same time, all thrashing around, is complete and utter madness. When we offered dolphin swimming in the Azores we went to great lengths to develop management protocol around training people. They need to know how to use a snorkel and mask, feel confident in the water – some places just throw people in and they can’t even use a snorkel!”
Tips on swimming with whales
Rae Gill is the tour director of our supplier WhaleSwim Adventures, in Tonga:
"People need to be fit and agile enough to get up a ladder in choppy water. They also need to be able to snorkel 50m at quite a good speed and be confident with their snorkelling gear, not just go out and think they will be able to do it. If they can't, our guides then have to look after one person and it affects the whole group. So we ask them to start getting fit in the swimming pool, to go to there with their snorkel and fins, do lengths to get their speed up and get confident. That way they're not worried about getting water in their snorkel when they're in the water, and they can focus 100 percent on the experience with the whales."
More Swimming with whales & wild dolphins articles
Our comprehensive guide to where to swim with whales and dolphins around the world.
Done right, swimming with killer whales in Norway is ethical - we explain all in our guide.
Is it okay to swim with dolphins in the wild? We discuss the issues, and the need-to-know.
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