Hi, sorry everyone, I know there have been various threads re swimming with Dolphins at Zoomarine, but can't find the answer to my question ! doh !!

Does anyone know if there's anywhere else along the Algarve where you can do this. Some friends are coming to visit at end of the month and have been to zoomarine for the last 4 years, but their girls are pestering to do the swim thing this year, so just wondered if there was any other option to Zoomarine ?

Thanks

Hi Lulu,

I have had a quick look and it seems as though Zoomarine may be your only option. You can certainly go whale/dolphin watching elsewhere but in term of swimming with them Zoomarine seems to be it!

It is certainly not cheap a friend paid 150euros 5 years ago for her son to swim with the dolphins.
Demand is so high that they can charge accordingly. Numbers are limited as well for the welfare of the Dolhins.

EMM wrote:It is certainly not cheap a friend paid 150euros 5 years ago for her son to swim with the dolphins.
Demand is so high that they can charge accordingly. Numbers are limited as well for the welfare of the Dolhins.

well thatt's ncie to hear, welfare on these occassions are paramount
Gaynor

I think it was around €80 in 2001 when my daughter and I took the plunge. You don't really get too long in the pool with the dolphins, but we thought it was well worth it. I think it is around €160-180 this year. Unless you want a private session for two at €480 each. Very informative as well.

Well not wanting to put a dampener on things but if they were really worried about the dolphins welfare they wouldn't be in a waterpark in the first place.

A friend of mine swam with the dolphins there a couple of years ago around October time, I don't know if the price varies at different times of the year, at that time it was certainly the only place offering this type of event in the Algarve.

blue wrote:Well not wanting to put a dampener on things but if they were really worried about the dolphins welfare they wouldn't be in a waterpark in the first place.

A friend of mine swam with the dolphins there a couple of years ago around October time, I don't know if the price varies at different times of the year, at that time it was certainly the only place offering this type of event in the Algarve.

yeh fair do's Blue suppose yr right but hate to see them in water parks but that's me personally I'm used to seeing them swimming of the Pembroke coast enjoying freedom.

There's a controversy over some dolphins in Hisaronu, Turkey, where were on holiday last month. We went to take a look at it being set up and it was heartbreaking - such a small pool.

Gail from Corrie is involved in the getting this shameful tourist 'attraction?' closed down - and quite right, too. LOOK HERE.



I don't agree at all with such things and I would never pay money to see such beautiful and highly intelligent creatures imprisoned for my pleasure. The sooner the Hisaronu (and Zoomarine, and every other captive) dolphins are released back into the oceans, the better. Imagine the uproar if a group of dolphins were able to capture someone and make them jump through hoops for their dinner!

Many thanks for all your replies, I will tell my friends that Zoomarine is the only option while they are here.

Michael Crane wrote:There's a controversy over some dolphins in Hisaronu, Turkey, where were on holiday last month. We went to take a look at it being set up and it was heartbreaking - such a small pool.

Gail from Corrie is involved in the getting this shameful tourist 'attraction?' closed down - and quite right, too. LOOK HERE.



I don't agree at all with such things and I would never pay money to see such beautiful and highly intelligent creatures imprisoned for my pleasure. The sooner the Hisaronu (and Zoomarine, and every other captive) dolphins are released back into the oceans, the better. Imagine the uproar if a group of dolphins were able to capture someone and make them jump through hoops for their dinner!

For once I agree with you Michael.....I hate seeing wild animals 'imprisoned' or behind bars
....
I just love to see wild animals in their natural habitat

Ellie wrote:.......For once I agree with you Michael.....

I have placed this post in my 'saved' folder!

Michael Crane wrote:

Ellie wrote:.......For once I agree with you Michael.....

I have placed this post in my 'saved' folder!

You see..there are certain things we can agree on

Ellie wrote:

Michael Crane wrote:

Ellie wrote:.......For once I agree with you Michael.....

I have placed this post in my 'saved' folder!

You see..there are certain things we can agree on

What a lovely thought, that it is these beautiful creatures that have at last made you two agree on something.
I think in certain circumstances it is acceptable to keep wild creatures in captivity, where they are being threatened with extinction in the wilds and planned breeding is needed, however I agree I would much rather see dolphins swimming in their natural environment as I was lucky enough to see them off the beach in CVO.

Ellie wrote:...You see..there are certain things we can agree on

There are - and there are some we don't. Why can't your pet American Pit Bull terrier just leave us two alone to banter away between us?

Just a quick update, my friends have just taken their girls to Zoomarine to swim with the Dolphins.

They were very pleasantly surprised ! and said that the whole experience was amazing. The whole point of Zoomarine is to raise awareness of marine biology as a whole, and to encourage man to understand these, and many other wonderful creatures. In the 30 minute talk session before the swim the girls were amazed to learn so much about sea life and how to care for and appreciate our planet, surely this has to be a good thing. The family were surprised to see another part of Zoomarine that is not generally open to the public. They were taken to a completely different area, which was like a private beach and where the dolphins were happily playing, it was the most beautiful scene, after a while they were introduced to the dolphins and allowed in the water with them, one of the dolphins was older than dad ! If he was that unhappy living at Zoomarine I am sure he wouldn't have survived that long ! No one would want to harm these creatures and no harm will come to them at Zoomarine, yes they live a different existence to their cousins in the wild, (who have to worry about tuna fishing nets and the like) but man also lives like this, some living in rural settings, some in city tower blocks, some of us living in free countries while some of mankind suffer unspeakable ills and often at the hands of other humans, its life, its nature, it happens.

To put it in a nutshell they have told me it's an experience they would recommend to anyone , and it has given them a completely different view of Zoomarine and the work carried out there.