With their unique sense of curiosity and undoubted playfulness, dolphins have always intrigued humans. Swimming with dolphins recently came out top in a BBC survey of things viewers wanted to do before they die.
While you are in Bermuda you can fulfil this fantasy at Dolphin Quest and, hopefully, live a little longer to tell the tale.
The attraction offers several programs for visitors to interact with its resident dolphins. Options range from a 20 minute shallow water encounter to a full day working as an apprentice trainer. Reservations can be made online at the official website.
Dolphin Quest Bermuda is situated at the National Bermuda Museum at Dockyard. Visitors with pre-paid reservations enjoy free entrance to the museum. Non-participants need to pay the entrance fee.
Visitors arriving on a cruise ship will have no difficulty finding it. It’s just a short walk from the cruise terminals at Heritage Wharf and Kings Wharf. Visitors coming from other areas of Bermuda can travel by public transport on the bus (number 7 or number 8) or on the ferry (blue route or orange route).
The first Dolphin Quest facility was established in 1988 in Hawaii by Dr Jay Sweeney and Dr Rae Stone. The Bermuda site was opened in 1996 at the Fairmont Southampton hotel but was destroyed in 1999 by Hurricane Gert. The facility subsequently moved to Royal Naval Dockyard and has remained there ever since.
I’ve always wanted to do this and my dream finally came true on a recent cruise to Bermuda. The dolphins are such magical creatures and I was amazed by how intelligent they were. I really enjoyed it and was really happy I came here. The water is a little cold though and pictures were expensive.
Thank you Sue. I have physical limitations and would love to at least see the dolphins.
My 4 grandchildren saved all their money for this experience (over $200). They spent 20 minutes talking about dolphins with trainer and 20 minutes only actually in the water with a group of 6. Found it priced extremely high for amount of actual time each child had with dolphin.
Stop this nonsense. This is a business where the dolphins are kept in un-natural conditions. People that visit "Dolphin Quest" are only financing this craziness! Dolphins are highly intelligent and sensitive creatures and we, are supposedly "superior" need to treat them with respect and dignity. Do not give your money to these operations!
I’m going to Dolphin Quest in June!! The fees are really REALLY expensive though.. We’re doing "The Encounter" which is 245 dollars for only 45 minutes with the dolphins. Is that crazy? YES, but from these reviews it looks like a lot of fun, so why not? I’ll give it a try!
I went to Bermuda and I was a trainer for a day. One word – amazing!
I found the whole experience truly sad, which ended up ruining my trip to Bermuda as I was unaware I was going to turn the corner and see this terrible cruelty. I would NOT have gone to the Maritime Museum had I of realized sooner that these intelligent creatures were held captive there. SHAME ON BERMUDA.
Have any of you people watched The Cove? Places like this drive the slaughter of thousands of dolphins. It is inhumane to keep these animals captive, performing on command for us. Maybe we need to think about how we would feel if the roles were reversed?
The pens were so small! I felt so sorry for the dolphins there, just going round and round in the few square metres they had between the 8 of them. It’s just a money making exercise at the expense of these poor creatures whom I’m sure would much rather be living in the sea (the entrance to which is sealed off just a few metres away!). It’s so sad.
Our family has enjoyed many of the Dolphin Quest programs but "Trainer for a Day" was not worth its price, in our view. Only 30% of the time is hands-on, because they do the Ultimate Adventure program. The child just watches 70% of the time and you can do that for free from the sidelines. Unless cutting fish is important to you, I would recommend the Ultimate Adventure program and saving the difference.
My wife and I just returned from Bermuda and had always wanted to swim with a dolphin. Dolphin Quest was the answer for us. A truly wonderful experience! The trainers are very capable and personable (thanks Ian) and our time spent with the dolphins was the realization of a dream. Simply the best!
Dolphin Quest is the best place at the Royal Naval Dockyard. My brother and I swam with the dolphins and it was the most unforgettable experience of my life! During the swim there is a photographer taking pictures and I was able to take one home of me kissing a dolphin! I will never forget that day as long as I live. My parents, brother and I took a cruise and we were docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard. It’s an easy walk from the cruise ship. I’d definitely recommend Dolphin Quest. It’s worth every penny.
I went to Dolphin Quest Bermuda on 28th Oct 2009. My family and I all went swimming with the dolphins and it was an amazing experience which I am very glad I got the opportunity to experience. They are so gentle and intelligent. Just a perfect time!
My husband and I went to Dolphin Quest in Bermuda last week. It was an incredible experience. These animals are wonderful as were the trainers. It was the most amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone.
I agree that Dolphin Quest Bermuda was AWESOME! I visited with the dolphins and trainers there several times over the past few years. And yes, I think everyone would agree that dolphins, like any other animal, have the potential to be very dangerous animals. The advantage to a place like Dolphin Quest is they have been raised to treat people in a gentle manner. It was far safer than entering a wild animals home and expecting hospitality. Touch or no touch, swimming with a wild dolphin disrupts their natural behaviours and could be bad for the person and animal. I believe the wild is to be observed and not disturbed, and would encourage anyone who wants more to visit Bermuda!
Would these captive dolphin facilities tell you that dolphins are extremely aggressive animals? They are commonly seen participating in infanticide, violent killings of porpoises and other dolphins,gang rape and kidnappings of females, bullying, biting and yes…there are many cases of dolphins attacking humans (mostly it is in captivity, by the way).
No way…they just tell people the fabricated, delusional version that dolphins are smiling, gentle animals that love humans. Wake up people!
Dolphins are not toys. They are very big, extremely powerful predators.
If you want to see dolphins, see them in the wild where they have freewill and are a true representation of dolphins.No, you don’t get to touch a wild dolphin (unless you want a negative response from them) but you don’t have to touch something to appreciate it.
I went to Bermuda in May with my best friend and we went to Dolphin Quest. I was nervous at first but the trainers and my friend made me feel very comfortable. Let me tell you it was great and I can’t wait to do it next year . I want to thank you for a wonderful time at Dolphin Quest.
I just came back from Bermuda in May and I had the chance to swim with the dolphins, it has been a dream of mine to do that and I’ll tell you it was one of the best thing I ever did and can’t wait to go back next year and do it again!!!! If anyone is given the chance to swim with them, don’t pass it up, might be your only chance. You won’t be disappointed, I know I wasn’t.
I’m going to bermuda soon and I cant wait to swim with dolphins! It has always been one of my life ambitions.
I agree with EVERYTHING that Melissa has said. It was a wonderful experience and I would love to go again.
I LOVE DOLPHIN QUEST BERMUDA! It’s awesome! I went swimming with them and the dolphins are so gentle and the trainers are so nice. I learnt tons of stuff about dolphins I never knew. I would recommend people go there.
If you can’t afford the fees, you can just watch while visiting the Maritime Museum.