AQUARIUMS · SWIM WITH DOLPHINS
The most expensive thing an aquarium sells, and the one that sells out first. The 4 below cover water time, group size and how much of the session is actually in the pool, with prices as booked.
Spend about eight and a half hours at Ocean World Puerto Plata, including a 15-minute waist-deep dolphin encounter, lunch, snorkeling, shows, waterslides, and hotel pickup. You can pet, feed, and dance with a bottlenose dolphin, but expect a small snorkeling pool with artificial coral.
At Interactive Aquarium Cancún in Plaza La Isla, you spend about 20 minutes in the water with dolphins during a 35-minute program. A bilingual host explains dolphin physiology, anatomy, and behavior before activities such as a kiss and welcome interaction. Cameras stay outside the habitat.
“We loved being in the pool and interacting with the dolphins but for the money didn’t seem long enough. By the time we checked in, got changed and had a talk about the dolphin, we had a few photos then it finished. 15 minutes with the dolphins for what we paid was a bit expensive for a family on a budget. That was without any photos. We then had to pay $53 per photo or they had packages which worked out cheaper but still very expensive in total.”
Spend about 8.5 hours at Ocean World with a 30-minute dolphin swim, dolphin behavior talk, Tropical Reef snorkeling, lunch, animal shows, waterslides, and round-trip hotel pickup. You must swim, wear a provided lifejacket, and remove jewelry before entering the water.
“The experience and trainers were great. Glad I went to Ocean World to fulfill this bucket list item. It was amazing!!”
Meet dolphins at Interactive Aquarium Cancun in Plaza La Isla. You’ll spend 30 minutes in the water, taking part in 14 guided activities, including dolphin kisses, touch sessions, and lessons about anatomy and behavior. The experience is offered in English or Spanish for small groups.
“Loved it but I thought we could actually swim with them not just stand in the water.”
By kind of visit, by what it costs, or by who is on the other side of the glass.
