Instructions
Contact your area zoos and ask if they have dolphins, or which zoos nearest you have them. Before you visit, call to make sure the exhibit is open, as circumstances such as renovations may be going on. In the U.S., zoos that have dolphins include Indianapolis, Chicago and Apple Valley, Minnesota. Marine parks and research centers such as Gulf World Marine Park and the Dolphin Research Center, both in Florida, have dolphins and allow visitors.
Check with your local travel agencies or online for companies that provide dolphin encounters. Some companies offer the opportunity to watch dolphins in the wild, either from the shore or on a boat. Other companies have programs that allow you to swim with captive or wild dolphins. Online sites such as Dolphin-inspirations list resources and companies to contact. Make a list those you are interested in, call for fees and available dates and book a reservation with the one you select.
Contact an organization that offers dolphin swim therapy if you are seeking therapeutic swims. Therapy programs are used often with physically challenged clients and children with developmental conditions and autism. Be aware that there are dangers of dolphin aggression and infection from contaminated water. Dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) is controversial because of concern for the health of captive dolphins and due to a lack of significant research proving that DAT is effective. Most programs are listed online.
Travel to a location where dolphins are most likely to be. Some locations are Hawaii, Florida, Australia, Texas, Washington, New Zealand, Cancun, Baja, the Bahamas and Canada. Rent a boat or go on local tours to spot dolphins. Often local hotels or resorts offer dolphin encounter packages or a list of tour guide companies that can help you.
Follow the lead of Simon Rogerson, editor of Dive Magazine, and arrange for an aerial spotter. Rogerson's dive partner, Jim Abernathy, used a flying inflatable boat, cruised about 1,000 feet above the ocean and gave him coordinates when he spotted dolphins. Rogerson reports that once you find dolphins a 10-minute interaction is considered good. Traveling to an area that dolphins frequent and using a boat and aerial spotter may be the most effective way of finding dolphins on your own.
How to Find Dolphins
The many dolphins living in captivity are generally easy to locate. Finding wild dolphins is not easy, as they move quickly and do not follow set routes. Some species swim 3 to 4 miles per hour, while others may swim at speeds up to 20 miles an hour. According to Dolphins-world, in the wild they may travel 40 miles in a day and spend up to 80 percent of the time under the surface.