Best places in the world to snorkel with wild dolphins
Here’s our round up for best places in the world to snorkel with wild dolphins or spot, swim or dive, depending on your fancy and abilities. My first encounter with wild dolphins was in Kenya when diving few kilometres away Kenyan Coast at Shimoni. Sheer magic and excitement, difficult to put into words; and ever since I’m always at the look out for best places to swim with wild dolphins.
10 years ago Shimoni was totally undeveloped and authentic and what was bad infrastructure wise was totally compensated by the warmth and curiosity of the locals.
Diving equipment and boat were also basic but safe and Kisite Marine Park was a treat in terms of reef colours, 250 fish species, 70 resident dolphins, sea turtles and occassionally whales. We spent 5 wonderful nights with Diani Reef and Spa – the trip to Shimoni would take an just over an hour.
Nothing prepared me for the magical moment at the end of my dive me on the way up equalising when a dolphin mum and her baby hanged out with me for 5 minutes – curious, playful and just out of this world.
Closer to Europe, The Red Sea is a snorkeler and diver paradise. Egypt is a wonderful eclectic mix for any explorer, history, Cairo pyramids, cruise on Nile, Karnak and Luxor temples and just superb sealife by the sea.
We dove in Hurghada even in February, 8mm suits and amazing underwater colours to keep me distracted from the water which was barely 18C degrees. Dolphins joined on 2 occasions our fishing and diving boat and we would be all elated and ecstatic – they are a good omen and loved by locals.
Still Red Sea but neighbouring shores, Eilat offers snorkelling and diving with dolphins at Eilat dolphin reef. No dolphin shows (as a diver and animal lover) I seriously question zoos and aquariums – but gentle spontaneous interactions.
We dove with Eilat dolphins and loved it; not much experience is required given that the depths is relatively shallow.
This is one of the best places to swim with wild dolphins or simply interract for disabled and autistic kids; and Eilat dolphin reef the track record is great in terms of long term effects and rehabilitation.
For warmer temperatures and still a splash or spotting the dolphins in the wild, the Caribbeans are a good place and amidst our favourites are the Grenadines.
We’ve been to St Vincent 2 years ago, with a 2 years old and me 5 months pregnant – snorkelling opportunities by Buccament beach and sunset cruises with dolphins coming by were such a treat.
Best places to swim with wild dolphins: Kangaroo Island, Australia
But by far my favourite place to swim with wild dolphins is Kangaroo island, Australia. Remote and wild, a 30 minutes flight from Adelaide, Kangaroo island is paradise for wildlife lovers. I spent 2 weeks volunteering at Hanson Bay and aside my crush with the kangaroos, the swim with the wild dolphins was the most magic encounter.
4 months pregnant at the time with my first but the swim and snorkel over an hour compared to nothing – pure joy, playfulness and delight. The dolphins hanged out with us almost 2 hours and I counted over 100 – babies and mums included.
Relatively close geographically to Australia was Fiji. We ventured on a day out sailing Fijian watermelon perfumed and crystal clear waters. Colours and fragrances aside, we also had dolphins joining us for the ride.
Oman was the latest surprise and we raved about extensively in here. Youtube still in preparations, in the meantime just insta and articles. Last but not least, the wonderful Indian Ocean. Maldives are any divers paradise and on few of our trips we spotted dolphins playing along our boats.
We were so excited to be back to Maldives December 2017 including for a collaboration with Banyan Tree Angsana Velavaru.
Best places to swim with wild dolphins: Maldives
In terms of wildlife Angsana specialises in turtle and marine life conservation, has extensive diving facilities and great childcare so that the parents could hopefully go on diving trips and dolphins sunset cruises.
Best places to swim with wild dolphins: Maldives
For the most wonderful sunset cruise where lots of dolphins joined us, head here. For something more visual on one of the best places to swim with wild dolphins, check on youtube in here.
Best places in the world to snorkel with wild dolphins wrap up in here: Shimoni Kenya, Kangaroo Island Australia, Fiji, Hurghada Egypt, Grenadines, Eilat Israel, Oman and Maldives. For more wildlife adventures, check our articles on our favourite places in the world to see turtles , the Manatees by Key Largo or best places to dive with sharks. Happy playful swimming all!
83 comments on “Best places in the world to snorkel with wild dolphins”
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Wow this is amazing! I want to swim with dolphins, they seem like the sweetest creatures. I will definitely keep this on my list of things to do whenever I’m travelling to these places.
Very sweet, playful and curious indeed! Hope you get to travel & swim with them soon and thanks for stopping by Marni!
I swam with dolphins in the sea at Mexico many years ago! It was an amazing experience!
Mexico is another great place for dolphins and even whales in Baja and Cancun! Thanks for stopping by Laura!
ah wow! You are so lucky. I can’t wait to do this, it’s been my ultimate dream for so long now. Hopefully next year in Florida it will become reality. Lovely photos and what great experiences
Thank you, we know, very lucky! And yes Florida is great for dolphins and manatees as well! Keep us posted please 😉
Swimming with dolphins is on my list of things I most want to do! I’d love to get the opportunity at some point!
I hope you’ll get to soon Laura! We have been very spoilt as divers and extensive travellers – we admit 😉 thank you for stopping by!
This looks absolutely amazing! One for the bucket list 🙂
Thank you Dean, I hope you get to try soon and thanks for stopping by!
I swom with dolphins in Tenerife and it was amazing:) i can hardly wait for you to tell me how is Maldive with kids as without i know is heaven ! Xxx
Tenerife sounds very good, we have to go back then for the dolphins! & Stay tuned for Maldives, there will be a couple of articles 😉 xo
Aww wow what beautiful photos! I’ve not been swimming with dolphins, but did go scuba diving in Ibiza which was incredible 🙂
Wow! We regularly go to Ibiza but this is the first time I heard about diving with dolphins in there! Where about please Helen?
Wow I think Dolphins are such smart and beautiful creatures so it is amazing that you were able to swim with them! That is incredible x
I also think they are super smart and beautiful, and indeed Ana feeling so lucky they hanged out with me on so many occasions 🙂 thanks fir stopping by! X
Swimming with dolphins is one of my top dreams. I love watching them play in the wild too
Yes Kara, they are pretty much amazing! My 4 years old even loves to watch the documentaries with them 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve never been swimming with dolphins but what a magical experience it must be. All of these places sound like wonderful places to visit whether you get to swim with the dolphins or not. #countrykids
Indeed Louise, magical is the word! I hope you and your girls would get to try soon, afterall Egypt and Eilat are not as long flight wise! Or perhaps Tenerife even closer? Thanks for stopping by and best of luck for the next 2 weeks!
Swimming with Dolphins sounds like such a fab activity, I bet it’s an amazing experience for kids to enjoy.
Thanks for sharing on #CountryKids.
Pleasure to link in as usual Fiona! So far the kids involved just in the spotting, I reckon mine need actually a year or two for the actual swimming 😉 Have a lovely Saturday!
Wow this has helped me make a whole new wishlist – we’ve seen them a couple of times (Florida and Oman, both in the wild) but I would love to add some of these. I didn’t have quite such luck at Hurghada, but Eilat might be on the cards before too long, although the Maldives and Kangaroo Island would be amazing!
Oh yes Eilat is great for diving, dolphins included and Israel is such a fascinating country! The flight to Tel Aviv is easy and convenient, Tel Aviv is fun and Mediterranean, Jerusalem is within an hour drive and absolutely amazing, then there’s the Red Sea and El Gedi – food is delish, renting the car and crossing the country a joy. We even made it to Bethlehem and Palestina (all this before kids). I reckon our boys need another 2 years to fully appreciate; but with them going to a COE school they love baby Jesus and bible stories, so defo on our list to go back 😉 Thanks for the inspiration Cathy in wrapping up this article!
What a beautiful post, I would so love to do this one day. #kcacols
Thank you! I hope you get to soon! X
You are so lucky, swimming with or even just spotting dolphins is one of those things I have always wanted to do but never had the chance to. #KCACOLS
Indeed and I almost forgot how lucky I am after so many years of extensive travelling, diving and snorkelling. It took a fb conversation with Cathy at Mummytravels to prompt me wrap up an article on the topic! Thanks a lot Lauretta for stopping by, I hope you’ll get to see dolphins in the wild soon, perhaps Ireland, Scottish isles or Tenerife – the closest I could think about?
Swimming with dolphins would be such an experience. They are such beautiful and majestic creatures.
Indeed Emma, very smart, athletic and social as well!
Oh wow my two eldest daughters would love this . Our swim with Dolphins got cancelled whilst in Turkey and this is on their wish list 🙂
Can understand why! Our 4 years old is already totally into dolphins, we were watching documentaries the other day together ! We already snorkelled together in Menorca back in August so have high hopes for Maldives next month with him – v likely though dolphins will be just from the boat. Hope you get to swim with dolphins and daughters soon and thanks for stopping by!
Swimming with dolphins is definitely on my bucket list. I’ve swum with sharks (both accidentally and on purpose) but I’d love to swim with dolphins. Such a great list. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
Haha Clare, there will be an article soon coming with our top spots for sharks as well. Curious to hear your impressions – I have to admit I prefer diving with sharks rather than swimming 😉 Pleasure to link in as usual!
Oh wow. I’m so jealous I absolutely love dolphins and would love to see them in the wild. Sarah #explorerKids
I hope you get to soon Sarah!
We went swimming with dolphins in Mexico, such an amazing experience. Fab photos x
Thank you Cathy! Mexico and dolphins sound magic, despite spending 2 weeks in Tulum and Playa we only managed cenote diving, partying, lots of good food, beach bars & friends and beautiful ruins 😉 x
Wow what great experiences, I would love to see some Dolphins up close like this.
I hope you get to soon!
Wow! I’d love to have a chance to swim to dolphins. This is so awesome! Thank you very much for the list. You’ve been around haven’t you?! This is so Amazing! I never knew there are so many places you can spot them.
Thank you so much for linking up with us on #ExplorerKids.
Hi Su, indeed pretty much my whole life I suffered from very itchy feet..;) The list is actually not exhaustive, great to gather so many comments with wonderful experiences in Tenerife, Mexico, Turkey and so! Pleasure to link in as usual!
Your sun-filled pics make me wish for summer already!
#CountryKids
I know Anette, me too I am soo ready for sun & balmier temperatures! Thanks for stopping by!
Sailing beside dolphins close to the Gambian coast will always remain one of my stand out moments, looks like you’ve had loads to enjoy #CountryKids
Wow Mary, Gambian coast! That’s one place I have not been! Do you have a post on that by any chance?
Swimming with dolphins is on so many people’s bucket lists, this is a great resource.
Great to hear Sarah and thanks for stopping by!
I’m so pleased these are all natural experiences. After watching the Cove and understanding where a lot of the aquariums and swim with dolphin “experiences” get their dolphins, it’s a heart breaking industry. #KCACOLS
I know! As divers for years we are very aware of the bad practices and would never endorse delphinariums ! In all fairness in my article there’s one which is an enclosure – Eilat Reef in Israel. However, Eilat’s reef huge size, no dolphin shows but spontaneos interractions, therapy sessions offered to disabled kids and educational angles rehabilitate quite a bit in my view the actual captivity …Thank you for stopping by!
You cab see dolphins all the time up where my mum and dad liv in Scotland – wouldn’t want to swim there for long though – the water is super cold! #kcacols
Ah wow, where about please? We’ve been isles of Mull and Iona before kids and felt in love, planning to go back with kiddies I guess in a year or 2! We have seen basking sharks ( amazing, will write abiut it soon), puffins and seals but not dolphins…Pls do not laugh but after 2 beers I also managed to swim 😉
This is certainly something that I would love to do one day. What a magical experience it is. Great photos and wonderful to find out more about where to swim and see these lovely animals.
Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time
Mainy
Pleasure to link in Mainy! Hope you get to see dolphins in the wild soon and great to hear you liked the pics !
You’ve been on some fabulous trips! What I wouldn’t do to be in the Maldives on this grey Monday! #Mondayescapes
I know Annabel, this weather is quite something…Luckily with the pile of work and projects, barely noticing 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Swimming with dolphins has always sounded appealing to me, but recently I’ve become more sceptic in regards to how much the animals are affected by it, in a bad way. But I guess that only pertains to “caged” animals, not wild ones.
I know, likewise, seriously questioning swimming with trapped animals but when they choose you as a spontaneous play partner out of the blue and wild – it is really magic! Thanks for stopping by!
Your needs to be optimised foe.mobile use. Amazing pictures but Dolphins are jerks lol. #kcacols
Haha, fair point, dolphins could be funny and less funny indeed! But who are us humans to judge? They can indeed be cruel and play with food i.e. fish or baby sharks and can indeed be very keen on mating. But again, are we really well placed to call them jerks? 😉 Thanks for stopping by and making me smile !
Oh and working on optimising mobile use! If you have any easy tips, pretty please email me 😉 thanks a million!
Such magical and amazing experiences. Thanks for linking up to #KCACOLS. You have a wonderful life.
Thank you so much, it’s good to be reminded occasionally it’s not all work work work, projects and running around 😉 Thanks a lot for stopping by!
oh wow what an amazing experience. I would absolutely love to do this! #KCACOLS
Thank you, I hope you get to see some dolphins in the wild soon! X
Oh I just love this post, what a beautiful collection of places to encounter dolphins they really are the most enchanting creatures aren’t they? Thanks so much for linking up #MondayEscapes x
Pleasure Sarah! Enchanting dolphins indeed 😉 X
Thank you for these good ideas! I would like to swim with dolphins.
I hope you get to soon – keep me posted!
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