Five Of The Best Places To See DolphinsÂ
The days of travelling abroad to see dolphins perform tricks for fish in dolphinariums might soon be numbered. It was recently revealed that experts in philosophy, conservation and animal behaviour are campaigning for a Declaration of Rights for Dolphins and Whales. Experts believe that dolphins and whales display a level of intelligence which merits that they be given the same ethical considerations as humans.
If the campaign gains support it would mean that dolphins could be treated as non-human ‘persons’ and signal an end to the era of keeping them in captivity and using them in entertainment displays.
Many wildlife-loving tourists already know that the best place to see dolphins are in the wild rather than in captivity and, with many of the world’s dolphinariums closing down and releasing dolphins back into their natural environment, there are plenty of great places to see these superb creatures. There are even many holiday companies who specialise in dolphin swimming trips. Here are five of the best locations for those keen to watch them in their natural habitat:
Cardigan Bay, Wales
Cardigan Bay in Wales is home to a population of around 130 bottlenose dolphins – it’s one of the last remaining places in the UK where bottlenose dolphins live and play. People who return to Cardigan Bay each year to view the dolphins from boats or from binoculars can really become attached to individuals – some of the dolphins have been known to reach the age of 50! The best time of year to see the dolphins is from April to September and New Quay is a popular viewpoint. When you can see a crowd gathered on New Quay’s village quayside it’s normally a good sign that the dolphins are in town.
Miami, America
American Football team the Miami Dolphins are appropriately-named; Miami affords lots of delightful dolphin-watching opportunities. Biscayne Bay, a lagoon which is 35 miles long and 8 miles wide, is one great place to see dolphins frolic – the animals love the gin-clear waters there and so too do boating parties. The 1960s children’s television series Flipper, was filmed in a lagoon in Miami.
Dingle Bay, County Kerry, West Ireland
Fungie is County Kerry’s equivalent of Flipper – he’s the only dolphin in 40km-long Dingle Bay and would be very lonely were it not for all the visitors who charter one-hour boat trips to visit him. This bottlenose dolphin has been resident in Dingle since early 1984. He is the longest-standing friendly solitary dolphin in the world and has even had a book written about him. If for some reason Fungie isn’t feeling friendly and doesn’t appear during your boat trip then you get a full refund – even dolphins need the odd day off!
Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong
The stretch of the river between Hong Kong and Macau is the place to catch a glimpse of some of the 1,000 pink humpback dolphins who live there. Interestingly, the pink colour comes not from the skin but from over-developed blood vessels – the baby dolphins are born with black skin and get progressively paler as they grow older – some even appear to be albinos.
With a 97 per cent chance of seeing a dolphin on a Pearl River Delta boat trip, you are pretty sure to see a wide variety of different-coloured dolphins along the way.
Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort, Queensland, Australia
Taking a 75-minute cruise from Brisbane is very worthwhile – at sunset there is the chance to hand-feed the eight wild bottlenose dolphins which frequent the area. The dolphins are only fed about 20 per cent of their daily food requirements to ensure that their natural hunting instincts aren’t blunted. For wildlife lovers, feeding time is an unforgettable experience but for dolphins like Bobo, Echo and Tinkerbell it’s just the time for an early-evening snack!
James Christie writes for business directory, Thomson Local, who offer free advertising to UK businesses.