#17724 - 10/25/03 11:38 AM
Swim with Dolphins
|
IM KLJ
Member
Registered: 09/19/03
Posts: 37
|
Anyone do this excursion in Moorea? Is is worth the $100? Do you actually get to touch and swim with them?
Thanks
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#17725 - 10/25/03 10:50 PM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
Kristy
Advisor
Registered: 10/12/01
Posts: 568
Loc: Windsor, CA USA
|
Hi, we did the shallow encounter. You do get to touch them but no, you don't really swim with them. I felt it was worth (at that time) the $95 to get kissed by a dolphin. 
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17726 - 11/05/03 12:47 PM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
Island Moe
Member
Registered: 11/05/03
Posts: 144
Loc: Vallejo, CA
|
We did the honeymoon encounter - it was well worth the money. We did stand in shallow water with them but also were able to get in the deep water as well to watch them and how powerful they are underwater. I would do it again.
_________________________
Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook, just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock and characters an amateur would never dream up, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. 
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17727 - 11/05/03 02:45 PM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
Jan
Junior Member
Registered: 07/10/05
Posts: 2
Loc: California
|
Swim with Dolphins:
I sort of hesitate to open up this discussion once again (but you will find it in the archives of the forums). I haven't weighed in previously, because others did it so well.
So here goes: No, you do not "swim" with dolphins. You are perhaps petting dolphins that are quite tired of being captivated in a small pen. This is not only true in Moorea--but also in Florida and Bermuda. When at the Beachcomber in Moorea, all you need to do is to walk over and see how poorly these animals are kept, and how lethargic they all are. It makes me ill.
A wonderful alternative, however, is available on Moorea!! (I wish this was so on Bermuda as well).
Dr. Michael Poole has a wonderful excursion from Moorea several days a week to watch and experience and discuss dolphins and whales! It is fabulous. His boat picks up at several hotels. He is an American marine biologist who has lived/worked in Moorea for 14 years studying both whales and dolphins. (thanks Jan)
Call: (689) 56-14-70 Or e-mail: criobe@mail.pf
Believe me, you will learn so much more on this trip!!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17728 - 11/05/03 09:06 PM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
Submarine
Expert Advisor
Registered: 01/03/03
Posts: 1032
Loc: Gilbert, Arizona, USA
|
Couldn't they just rotate out the dolphins every few months or so? How hard would it be to capture a few more? The dolphins could get their 'stint' in the pen and have great stories to tell their friends.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17729 - 11/06/03 06:00 AM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
old_windsurfer
Junior Member
Registered: 10/26/03
Posts: 10
Loc: Lake Dallas, Texas
|
We were also hoping to do the Dolphin honeymoon encounter at Dolphin Quest on our trip later this month. Now we are having doubts about the entire experience. For one, the cost is now 41,800 cfps or approximately $418USD which seems a bit extreme for 30 minutes with a dolphin and a picture. My fiance is reticent about paying that price.
The first article we read about the Dolphins led us to believe they were free to swim in an out of the area and this lagoon was their natural home. We recently learned from this forum and a more recent guide book that is not the case any longer and these are captive dolphins, not that being captive makes them any less gorgeous. On the other side, a wild dolphin left to roam freely is not as likely to swim with you or let you pet them. Years ago when I had a sailboat in the gulf the dolphins would usually appear about half way to cat island to jump and swim along side the boat for several hours. Anytime I would stop the boat and get in the water ... they were gone ... off to the next boat I suppose. They certainly never stuck around to swim with me and I never had an opportunity to touch one. Probably because these were wild dolphins that were never fed nor trained by people. I suppose over time if I had fed these dolphins it would have increased my chances of them sticking around long enough or close enough to touch one.
My point being ... yes it is very sad these dolphins are captive. However, odds are you would never have the opportunity to touch or kiss a dolphin were they not trained captive animals. Ten of one, half a dozen of a nother.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17730 - 11/06/03 01:17 PM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
Island Moe
Member
Registered: 11/05/03
Posts: 144
Loc: Vallejo, CA
|
Soapbox time....
The dolphins at the Beachcomber were raised in captivity. They know no different. They are great with the dolphins, respectful with them and they do not force them to be with the public if they do not wish to be. When we were there the Dolphin that they wished to introduce us to swam over but decided to go and play with one of the other dolphins - they told us that they just get out of the water and DO NOT do anything to reprimand the Dolphin. They teach you things about the animal that you would never be able to learn outside of captivity and they tell you that the program is designed to give you the information and knowledge to help the species survive.
We would go over there at night and watch the dolphins play.
It is worth the money to have the experience of standing next to one the most amazing creatures, putting your hand on a dolphin....
When we were at the Beachcomber, we told ourselves that we were going to do everything that we had the urge to do. We did not want to come home and tell people that it was great but we wish we had done this or we wish we had done that.
_________________________
Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook, just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock and characters an amateur would never dream up, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17731 - 11/07/03 08:44 AM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
Island Moe
Member
Registered: 11/05/03
Posts: 144
Loc: Vallejo, CA
|
To add a little more…
The dolphins have a good deal of space to swim – while it’s not the open ocean, it still is a good deal of space. While I cannot speak of the other Dolphin Quest locations at other resorts – they are very kind in Moorea. We read the negative posts about Dolphin Quest and how people believe that the dolphins are mistreated – we did not see that at all. The only way that you would know different is to actually go and get in the water and talk to the people. They are for the survival of the species. I can go on and on about how great it was and how people just don’t seem to see the opportunity that this allows you but that really doesn’t matter to some people.
If you think this is cruel then what do you think if the shark and sting ray feeding – those animals, while in the open ocean have still had some domestication to the public. They know that when you are around food is to follow. That is why the ray’s will swim right up to you. Jump in the water with a school of “wild” sting rays and see how they react. I will put money on that fact that they will quickly distance themselves from you.
When it comes down to it – take the opportunity to do all of the things that you may never have that chance to do again.
_________________________
Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook, just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock and characters an amateur would never dream up, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17732 - 11/07/03 05:46 PM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
old_windsurfer
Junior Member
Registered: 10/26/03
Posts: 10
Loc: Lake Dallas, Texas
|
Island Moe,
Thanks for the helpful viewpoint ... more importantly I used your comment, "When we were at the Beachcomber, we told ourselves that we were going to do everything that we had the urge to do. We did not want to come home and tell people that it was great but we wish we had done this or we wish we had done that." to sell my fiance on the costs of the experience. It worked.  )
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#17733 - 11/08/03 06:24 PM
Re: Swim with Dolphins
|
Island Moe
Member
Registered: 11/05/03
Posts: 144
Loc: Vallejo, CA
|
It's my pleasure - enjoy yourselves
_________________________
Life is the crummiest book I ever read, there isn't a hook, just a lot of cheap shots, pictures to shock and characters an amateur would never dream up, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: BarbiJKM, hamara, DenverJoe, Poehere
|
6901 Members
15 Forums
10250 Topics
91339 Posts
Max Online: 118 @ 04/08/12 01:59 PM
|
|
0 registered
and 8 anonymous users online.
|
|
|
