Who isn’t enchanted by bottle-nose dolphins? We love watching them on TV, and they are always a popular feature at aquariums and sea life attractions. One of the most popular activities involving dolphins is scuba diving in the open ocean with these wonders of the deep blue sea.

Dolphins in the Bahamas

There are innumerable businesses throughout the Bahamas that offer diving experiences of all kinds. There are generally two different types of dolphin-involved experiences offered in the Bahamas. These activities are unique in the world and include:

• encounters with wild spotted dolphins
• open-water scuba diving training encounters

Wild Spotted Dolphins

Swimming and snorkeling with dozens of wild spotted dolphins in the open ocean is an adventure of a lifetime. This type of experience is just waiting for you in the islands of the Bahamas, whether your choice of sites is near Bimini, at West End, in Grand Bahama, or in any of the other locations. There are multiple operators whose business it is to offer wild dolphin encounters for experienced divers and novice divers. Even non-divers can have a chance to interact with these incredible animals while swimming alongside them. Only in the islands of the Bahamas can you find so many different opportunities to take a thrilling swim with these amazing marine mammals.

Open Water Wild Dolphin Encounters

Wild dolphin encounters, usually with bottle-nosed dolphins, are happening all the time in locations throughout the Bahamas. There are swimming adventures with dolphins for snorkelers in the waters around Orange Cay, or you can meet up with some friendly dolphins in the clear freshwater river that divides Andros Island. Multiple sites offer wild dolphin encounters as a staple in their businesses.

Unique Experience with UNEXSO

If you find yourself at Lucaya on Grand Bahama, you’re right where you need to be if you’re looking for a different kind of dolphin encounter. Here you can find an open water dolphin dive offered in conjunction with Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO).

When engaging in a wild dolphin encounter, there’s no guarantee that the dolphins are going to cooperate on any given day. That uncertainty is eliminated with a UNEXSO encounter experience, where s divers are introduced to the dolphins through controlled circumstances. Even waders have the opportunity to interact with the dolphins during UNEXSO’s Open Ocean Dolphin Swim program..

UNEXSO offers the unique experience of open ocean diving with some of their dolphins in an open ocean release. Every diver has the opportunity to spend time one-on-one with the dolphins as they circulate among them. In the Dolphin Swim offered by UNEXSO, snorkelers swim in the protected waters of Sanctuary Bay with the dolphins. Or you can choose the Dolphin Close Encounter, where even non-swimmers can spend time with the dolphins from a partially submerged platform.

UNEXSO also offers their Dolphin Assistant Trainer Course, a half-day program with a minimum age requirement of 16. This program provides a fun, educational way to learn about the dolphins and their care.

UNEXSO dives are by reservation only, so make your bookings ahead of time.