The number of people who want to swim with dolphins is at an all time high, fuelled in part by a spate of TV programmes showing TV personalities getting in the water with them. The programmes reveal how friendly dolphins can be, and as a result many people now want to experience this for themselves. If you've ever thought how great it would be to swim with dolphins read on...
An understandable love for dolphins may encourage people to want to get close to them. This desire may stem from the belief that close contact with these special animals can provide, at the very least, a release from day-to-day stresses and boredom and, at the other extreme, some sort of miracle cure for physical illness / mental illness / disability. Such beliefs have helped encourage the growth of "Swim with Dolphins" interaction programmes by both commercial interests and alternative therapists.
Putting aside these alleged benefits for a moment, just imagine you're a wild dolphin, and you're swimming in the sea around the U.K. In order to survive you've got to avoid polluted waters, and at the same time you've got to keep an eye out for predators who may see you as their next meal.
If you're going to avoid starvation you've also got to find food. Fish is your favourite, but if you go after fish you've got competition. If you go where the fish are, you need to be careful not to get caught in the giant fishing nets of trawler ships. Some of them are big enough to swallow a Jumbo jet. If you accidentally swim into one of those you'll be trapped underwater with no way out. You'll be dragged along in the net, and unable to surface, you'll slowly drown.
If you manage to catch a few fish you'll probably want to rest afterwards, but of course you've still got to watch out for those hungry predators. Just as you're starting to relax, you're suddenly confronted by a crowd of humans. They're diving into the water from a tourist boat just above you. Some are trying to grab your dorsal fin and ride on your back. Others are shouting and screaming and trying to pet you like a dog. How do you think you'd react. At best you'll find it all a bit stressful and confusing. We may like swimming with dolphins, but do they really like swimming with us?
It's important to remember that the dolphins which swim around the coast of Britain are wild animals. Although they will allow us to get very close to them, their actions can be unpredictable. When you see things from the dolphins perspective it's easy to understand why.
Dolphin numbers around the U.K. are not what they used to be. The reason for their decline is as a direct result of human activities, so it's altogether much kinder to give them some space and simply observe them from a distance.
Instead of trying to jump on the back of a wild dolphin, like it were some sort of fairground ride, a more intelligent option could be to take a dolphin watching boat trip instead. You'll still get close to the dolphins, but you won't totally freak them out. In case you're wondering we're not connected with any boat operators and we receive no commission for recommending them.
The recent popularity for swimming with dolphins, appealing as it first seems, results in dolphins being cruelly taken from the wild and kept in captivity, purely for human entertainment and the "swimming with dolphins" experience. They generate huge profits for their owners. It's a multi-million pound industry. Before booking a swimming with dolphins experience be sure to find out how the dolphins arrived at the resort.
Dolphins communicate to each other by making high frequency clicking and whistling sounds.
Best Places to See Dolphins in the UK
You don't have to go out to sea to spot dolphins around our coast. During the summertime dolphins swim closer to the shores of the UK and this can offer good opportunities to watch their playful antics as they leap in and out of the blue stuff.
Take a picnic, a good pair of binoculars with you to get the best view, and enjoy the free entertainment.
Here are a few locations where you have a good chance of a seeing them from land.
Durlston Head - Dorset, England
Prawle Point - Devon, England
Porthgwarra - Cornwall, England
Cardigan Bay - Cardigan, Wales
Moray Firth - Inverness, Scotland
Loch Gairloch - Wester Ross, Scotland
Chanonry Point - Black Isle, Scotland
Wed Jun 27, 2012 4:27 pm
