Dive w/Dolphins Isla Mujeres Scuba Cancun

[icediver_al]

Has anyone tried this dive with Scuba Cancun? It sounds like fun to dive with dolphins but I think it is illegal in the USA. It is hard to know how good a dive outfit they are until it is too late. I am leaving Monday 21Jul03. -Thanks

http://www.scubacancun.com.mx/divingwithdolphins.htm

 

[daylight]

Welcome to the board. Look forward to reading a report when you return home.
Enjoy,
Larry

 

[minnesotadiver]

Hi did you ever go diving with the dolphins? I am going to Cancun in 2 weeks and want to do the same thing. Any info. would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Pam

 

[teamheatwave]

Actually, there is only one scuba with Dolphins program in the Cancun area that I know of. It is in Cozumel and run by Dolphin Discovery. They have Dolphin Swim programs on Isla Mujeres, Puerto Aventuras and Cozumel. But only one dive operation. They have a 10AM program which is an experience program for non-divers and a more dive orientated program about 2:30 for certified divers. If you are in Cancun, get yourself down to PDC and then take the ferry across to Cozumel. Then you need to take a taxi from the pier to Chankanaab Park which runs about $10 plus admission into the park (a few bucks more). While there, you can also do a reasonably priced and fun shore dive at Chankanaab Reef.

 

[Scuba Duffer]

Do some research on these programs - ESPECIALLY the Dolphin Discovery programs. We did that a Chankanaab Park when we were there - totally oblivious to what was going on. Shortly after returniong home, we read a magazine article on the treatment and explotation of the dolphins. Basically, it came down to the dolphins being "cooked" in thier pens. Because the water is so warm from the shallow depth, the dolphins are exposed to much higher water temps than they would usually encounter in the open ocean. The long term results of this is a greatly shortened life span. Also, if you do go, look at the noses of the dolphins. They are worn down and a white color - because they constantly rub their noses against the pens.

Our experience with the Dolphin Encounter went from being a great one, to one we regret a lot. I am sad that we contributed to this tourist operation.

The reason such things are not done in the US is because they know how destructive it is.

Educate yourself - don't take these programs at face value. If you then decide to go - so be it.

 

[catbrown]

1. Scuba Cancun does not do diving with dolphins

2. the closest place to swim with dolphins is in the Cancun Aquarium, in the hotel zone, they have large pools and daily sessions.

3. I think they should all be closed down, their only saving grace is that they educate people about dolphins

 

[geraldp]

We did the "Swim" with dolphins at Chankanaab Park in Cozumel last February with Dolphin Discovery. The "dive" with dolphins was $60 more, and my wife is not a diver anyway. We swam and snorkeled with a dolphin named Sinbad - it was a wonderful experience (for us) and probably the highlight of the trip for my wife.

All that being said, we wondered about the health and happiness of these beautiful animals. I did hear that one of the dolphin places in the area let their dolphins free when the last huricane came through a few years ago and they all came back. Don't know if that's true or not - perhaps some of the locals (CatBrown?) can comment on that. Sinbad didn't look too unhappy (to my untrained eye). I know he was fed (rewarded) a lot of goodies by his handler - even though there were a lot of fish freely swimming through the pens.

ScubaDuffer: Was this article you read specific to Dolphin Discovery? If so that is disturbing. I saw on their webpage that they recently closed down one of their dolphin sites.

Jerry

 

[Scuba Duffer]

If I remember correctly, the article was specific to Chankanaab Park - it may have been Dolphin Discovery - but I know it was specific to one of them. I know that much because I remember how crappy we felt after reading the article - we are animal lovers in the truest sense (as most divers are). It also mentioned things like the unnatural environment, the stress of overworking the dolphins but what I remember most was the comments about dolphins cooking in the warm shallow waters.

I am guilty of giving my dollars to them, something I'm really not proud of now. I have the same picture too - the one you just can't refuse buying of a Dolphin "kissing" you.

When you stop and think about what powerful, graceful and obviously incredibly intellegent animals these creatures are, you can only come to the conclusion that this isn't the best way to treat them. I just we had known this information and given it some fore thought first. Like you I am sure, we got caught in the excitement of the moment.

 

[getwet2]

Has anyone tried this dive with Scuba Cancun? It sounds like fun to dive with dolphins but I think it is illegal in the USA. It is hard to know how good a dive outfit they are until it is too late. I am leaving Monday 21Jul03. -Thanks

http://www.scubacancun.com.mx/divingwithdolphins.htm

The dolphins will most likely be in an inclosed pen of some sort and have to depend on humans to feed them. Think about it before you support this type of diving, if it's something you agree with or want to encourage then go ahead, it's your choice.

 

[icediver_al]

I never did do the dolphin dive in Cancun. I also went to Ixtapa where they had a swim with the dolphins tank next to our hotel. We did look inside to see what was going on but I just couldn't bring myself to give them any money. Even if the dolphins were treated like royalty, it is not fair to be put in jail for no reason. (although Bush does not seem to have a problem with it...)

Hopefully some day I will be able to swim with dolphins naturally in the ocean... or whale sharks... or hammerheads...