Ask the Big Kahuna "Answering the most common visitor questions"

Question:

Is there any place in Hawaii where we can swim with dolphins and other sea life in their natural surroundings? We heard that there may be places that have dolphins in captivity, but we're not comfortable with that idea. Any suggestions?

Thank you,

Beverly

Response:

Dear Beverly,

Swimming with dolphins in their natural habitat can be dangerous and even illegal -- if you get too close. Hawaii protects both its wildlife and its visitors, so your best bet for dolphin contact in-the-wild is via a reputable snorkelling, diving, or boating company. These local providers tend to attract owners and crews that share a sensitivity to wildilfe and they know the "lay of the sea." They can take you to the places where safe sightings are known to regularly occur and can coach you on the best ways to observe and interact with dolphins, whales, turtles, monk seals, and other sea life.

Check the activities section for each island for a wide range of aquatic activities or click below to go directly to providers.

Oahu: Snorkeling/Snuba | Scuba and Diving | Whale and Dolphin Watching

Big Island: Snorkeling/Snuba | Scuba and Diving | Whale and Dolphin Watching

Kauai: Snorkeling/Snuba Providers | Scuba and Diving | Whale and Dolphin Watching Providers

Maui: Snorkeling/Snuba | Scuba and Diving | Whale and Dolphin Watching

Good luck,

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Due to the great number of questions, the Big Kahuna will not be able to answer your questions personally. Questions of general interest will be answered in future issues of the free TNT NewsHawaii Travel newsletter, and then posted here.

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