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Love Dolphins? Here Are The Best Places To Dive With Them

Everybody loves dolphins. With their enigmatic smiles and playful antics in the water, they charm the fins of many a diver. Diving or swimming with dolphins is simply unmissable. There are some great places around the world where you can dive with dolphins or grab a snorkel and swim with them. From the crystal-clear Bahamas to far-flung French Polynesia, we have your top dolphin diving destinations here.

The Bahamas

The pristine Bahamas
The clear waters of the Bahamas are ideal for dolphin spotting

The warm blue waters of the Bahamas are ideal for diving with dolphins, with plenty of these mammals seen near Bimini Grand Bahama. You can enjoy almost guaranteed encounters with the resident dolphins found there.

Atlantic Spotted dolphins are a real Bahamas treat. These dolphins gather in shallow waters during afternoons to play and socialize. Other Bahamas dolphins seen include spinner, spotted, striped, and bottlenose dolphins. 

 
Bahamas
Dolphin Encounters of a Lifetime

The Galapagos Islands

Seals on the beach
The Galapagos Islands offer unparalleled diving and wildlife-spotting opportunities.

The UNESCO-listed Galapagos Islands need no introduction as an epic dive destination with abundant wildlife to enjoy. It is high on many divers' wish lists. The Galapagos offers great dolphin diving and numerous encounters with sharks and rays, marine iguanas, and sea lions. You can dive with pods of resident bottlenose and common dolphins around the islands. Other Galapagos Islands dolphins seen include spotted Spinner and Risso’s dolphins.

 
Galapagos
Explore the Underwater Wonders of Evolution

Fury Shoal, Egypt

Diver in between coral walls
Fury Shoals offers impressive coral formations, reefs, and playful spinner dolphins.

Sha’ab Sataya is renowned for its large pods of spinner dolphins hanging out in the natural lagoon. Located south of the Fury Shoals reef system, this Egypt diving destination is not to be missed. When you’ve had your fill of swimming with dolphins, you can enjoy great reef dives with impressive drop-offs. Keep your eyes peeled when diving, as you may also see the occasional bottlenose, common, or Risso’s dolphin passing by.

 
Egypt
Dive Deeper, Dream Bigger, in the Red Sea

Socorro, Mexico

Bottlenose dolphins
The remote Socorro Islands host pods of bottlenose dolphins from January to March each year

The Socorro Islands are a paradise for marine megafauna diving, offering encounters with friendly Giant Pacific mantas, humpback whales, whale sharks, hammerheads, and more. Socorro Island itself is also a great destination for diving with dolphins. Socorro’s many bottlenose dolphins are keen imitators of the manta rays, following their movements and copying scuba divers in the water.

 
Socorro Island, Mexico
Where spinner dolphins dance with the ocean breeze

Hawaii

Dolphins up close
Flipper gang in your face

Hawaii’s striking volcanic landscapes, underwater lava formations, and flourishing coral gardens are a huge draw for scuba divers. Add to that the chance to night dive with manta rays and enjoy resident dolphins, and you’ve got a Hawaiian diving paradise. Oahu and Big Island host spinner dolphins that delight divers with their acrobatics as they pass by. There are also resident pods of bottlenose and spotted dolphins that frequently appear.

 
Hawaii
Embrace the Abyss and Soak in the Beauty

Raja Ampat, Indonesia

The majestic island life

Raja Ampat, one of Indonesia’s most stunning regions, has over 1,500 islands to explore in the Coral Triangle. If you can tear your eyes away from the diverse fish life and manta rays found there, you can also spot dolphins. Dolphins are regularly seen on boat crossings at Raja Ampat, making your Raja Ampat liveaboard cruise even more special. Keep your eyes on the horizon as you sail, and you might see spinner, spotted, common, bottlenose, and Risso’s dolphins.

 
Indonesia
Where Dolphins Reign and Adventure Awaits!

French Polynesia

French Polynesia is frankly idyllic, offering white-sand beaches, incredible shark diving, humpback whales, and an escape from daily life.

Dive the famous Rangiroa atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, and you can dive with bottlenose dolphins at the Tiputa Pass entrance. This pass gives Rangiroa its claim to fame, thanks to exhilarating diving there with huge schools of grey reef sharks, mantas, Napoleon wrasse, and dolphins.

 
French Polynesia
Find Adventure Diving with Dolphins

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