The dolphins they are beautiful and super smart. They are marine mammals, cetaceans, and there are 34 species. Did you know? I love them, but I consider that they are animals and that you have to leave them alone, so I don't really understand the tourist desire that people interact with them ...
But well, the question is then, Can you swim with dolphins in Spain? In principle, No. Environmental groups have assured it, but still there are a few places where you can somehow see them up close. Let's know a little more about the subject.
Swim with dolphins in Spain
As we said, it is quite difficult to swim with dolphins in Spain because is prohibited. Still, there are several places where yes there are dolphin shows and even if it is you can be close, for example in the Madrid Zoo or Barcelona Zoo.
To interact more with them you must go to Benidorm, to Mundomar. Here there is one of the best dolphinariums in Europe, with not only dolphins but other marine animals such as turtles, sea lions, otters, flamingos ... There are 80 species in total and it is also a place where you can practice dolphin therapy.
In Mundomar what is offered are half hour meetings with dolphins, always with the presence of keepers or trainers who teach the public the most interesting aspects of these fabulous animals. To go with children is a great plan. The moment then lasts 30 minutes and includes the meeting with the animals, two photographs that will forever remember the contact, a gift towel, a backpack and a small bottle of mineral water.
Here It is advisable to make the reservation well in advance, for at least a week, through the online store or by sending an email to mundomar@mundomar.es indicating name, surname, mobile phone number, number of children and adults and the interested time (which can be at 12 or 16 pm) .
You can also call by phone, all the information is on the website. What yes you need to know how to swim and not have a mental disability, not be pregnant and if you are a child and you are between 5 and 12 years old and you cannot swim, be accompanied by an adult. This type of activity takes place between March and December, every day, and the price is 80 euros per adult and 55 per child.
Another place in Spain to have dolphin encounters is in Catalonia and is Aquopolis. This place is on the Costa Dorada, in La Pineda, near Salou and it is a beautiful water park. You have contact with dolphins through a guided tour, with educational talk and a small interaction that allows the animals to be touched, always under the watchful eye of the keepers.
Obviously, you can take photos. Today the price is 74 euros per adult and per child. Children must be at least seven years old and be at least 1, 15 meters tall. Those between 7 and 10 years old must be accompanied by an adult who will also participate in the meeting.
In the Valencian Community you can also have dolphin encounters. Where? At Oceanogràfic of Valencia and with the Animalia Passport. You will not only be able to meet dolphins but also with sea lions and learn all about the life of these fantastic animals. And you take a souvenir photo. What is the fee for this activity? € 44,70 per adult and € 37 per child.
To see the dolphins of Valencia, children must be at least six years old and if they are between six and twelve they must also be accompanied by an adult. The interesting thing here is that if you are interested in the work of caregivers, you can become one of them for a day. Yes, You can be a Trainer for a day and learn about how they care for the animals. An extra: the experience of sleeping with sharks is even offered for 90 euros.
El Delfinarium Selwo Marina is in Malaga, in the Benalmádena municipality. Here the dolphinarium has an underwater walkway, semi-submerged, so that you can appreciate the animals from a little more closely. Games are organized and you can take photos and touch the dolphins when those activities are finished. The rate per child is 39 euros and per adult is 74 euros, depending on the season you go.
The minimum age for children to enjoy this experience in Malaga is 5 years old, and yes, if they are between 5 and 7 they must be in the hands of an adult. Nor can they measure less than 1,25 meters in height and if so, also with an adult next to them.
These are the places where it is possible to interact with dolphins in Spain. Note that I do not say swimming because as we said at the beginning that activity is prohibited in the country. It's about interacting, being close, touching them, and not much else..
Outside of Spain, although close, you can do a little more in Portugal, in Zoomarine. Here yes you can swim Well, you can get into a huge lagoon surrounded by plants and white sand. It is more expensive but it is worth it: it costs 125 euros, depending on the season.
But is there really no other place in Spain? Well, you can go to the Atlantic coast and sign up for a tour that allows you to go see them in their natural habitat., Yes indeed. There are excursions of this type in the Canary Islands, for example, but it is still illegal to swim with each other.
The truth is that it seems perfect to me that you cannot swim with dolphins. That of keeping animals deprived of their freedom seems to me a horror, very typical of the XNUMXth century, doesn't it? What need is there today to maintain these kinds of places when you can either travel or watch it on TV or the Internet? Yes, I know, swimming with dolphins must be wonderful and a truly unforgettable experience, but is it worth stressing these animals, harassing them in boats full of tourists or locking them in dolphinariums so that people can touch them and take photos of them?
If anyway the activity interests you then my advice is that look to dive or swim among dolphins in the wild. Doing it with free animals is wonderful and very different from interacting with the enclosed animal, as this only encourages hunting.