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 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.
The Galapagos Islands
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.
Fury Shoal, Egypt
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.
Socorro, Mexico
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.
Hawaii
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.
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
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.
French Polynesia
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.
