You can swim with the dolphins all around the world but nowhere is like the real Daytona Beach, Florida dolphin experience. You can spend thirty minutes in the water swimming alongside some of the most beautiful and intelligent creatures of the sea. What a highlight of a wonderful place to take a vacation.
Plan out your swim with the dolphins in advance as this is a terrifically popular activity. You can contact Marineland at 1-904-471-1111 or you can email them for reservations at [email protected]. Marineland is located in St Augustine, just north of Daytona Beach Florida. Their website is listed in Resources below.
Get over to Daytona Beach. You can leave for your dolphin swim from any Daytona Beach hotel or other convenient location. You will be picked up by a bus and driven about an hour and a half to the Marineland Conservation Center. It's located on the Atlantic coastline north of Daytona Beach. You can relax and enjoy the beautiful coastal Florida drive and they even provide you with a complimentary breakfast on the coach.
Learn all about the Florida conservation program while you're at the Marineland Conservation Center. There are plenty of places in the center to explore and lots of people available to help you and give you information. If you get the whole package--called the full encounter, you will also get a wonderful Old Town Trolley Tour of St Augustine which will include the old time jail of Saint Augustine.
Enjoy the dolphins up close and personal at the edge of a swimming pool or in real deep water. Choose the Quest which is for people who will spend really intimate quality time with the dolphins. The Quest takes 90 minutes and 45 of those are spent swimming with the dolphins just like the staff members do. Only two groups of two can book this dolphin encounter at a time. Each Quest experience is designed uniquely so it is a real one of a kind experience.
Choose the Immersion to swim in both shallow and deep water for thirty minutes. The whole immersion takes 75 minutes. You use snorkels and masks and life vests and there is a short program before you swim to teach you all about the dolphins and what to expect with your swim.
Get to enjoy the dolphins even if you can't swim with a shallow water only experience that's just as up close and personal. This encounter includes a 30 minute educational program and twenty minutes int he water with the dolphins. The Flippers and Fins program is a hands on encounter that lasts 15 minutes--10 with the dolphins. Dolphin Designs is a program that allows you to hold a canvas that a dolphin will paint on. You can choose up to three colors. This is a 15 minute session, with 10 spent with the dolphins.
Look at the website for Marineland to find out about their Trainer for a Day Program which allows you to work with staff members as they train and care for the dolphins. The Center does corporate events like weddings and private parties for up to 400 people. There is a virtual tour, you can see all the dolphins, and find out about local attractions and places to stay.
