If a country has a coastline, it's likely you can watch wild dolphins along it somewhere. In some places you don't even need to go out in a boat; you can watch dolphins from the beach. In the United States, some of the best places to see dolphins are Alaska, California and Florida. In the United Kingdom, try Scotland. The Moray Firth near Inverness is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins.
Locating a tour operator is not difficult. You can ask at your hotel or look online and find one in minutes. However, finding a reputable one is sometimes trickier. There are lots of companies that offer dolphin watch tours, but some are better than others. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a list of approved tour operators in the United States. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have strict regulations on all dolphin tour operators. Recommendations from friends and dolphin conservation charities are a good start if you are unsure. Otherwise ask questions when booking your trip, including how close the company's boats get to dolphins -- no closer than 50 yards is best -- and what precautions they take to ensure the dolphins aren't disturbed.
Learning about the dolphins adds a new dimension to your trip. Do a little background reading beforehand to find out what kind of dolphins you will see, what their behavior means and their history. In some cases, you will see a well-documented pod of dolphins with the life of each individual recorded. Photographing dolphins in the wild can be difficult, because they are on the move. Unless you are an experienced wildlife or sports photographer with a fast camera, you might not catch the dolphins leaping out of the water. A continuous video of your trip could be a better way to record your experience rather than trying to take still photographs. Also, taking photographs can distract you from the experience playing out before your eyes.
Responsible dolphin and whale watching tours are helpful to the animals. The tours inspire people to protect the animals and provide an economically viable alternative to hunting or capturing them for aquariums. However, poorly conducted tours cause problems. Too many boats, getting too close creates stress for the animals and interferes with their socializing, breeding and feeding. Generally, avoid tour operators that offer an opportunity to swim with the dolphins. Yes, dolphins are friendly and often as interested in people as we are in them. Thousands of tourists doing this every year, however, harasses and disturbs the dolphins. Ensure you watch the dolphins from a distance and leave it up to them how close they get to the boat. Do not hesitate to report a tour company that behaves irresponsibly.
