Dolphins and guest on a boat

Swimming with Dolphins

Watching dolphins jump and play is always a unique and unforgettable experience. Get a boat, go looking for them.

Swimming with dolphins is definitely not a great idea, sorry about that. Dolphins are lovely, incredible, beautiful but wild animals, and very protective of their young. But watching them swimming and jumping and playing around your boat is a magical experience worth trying, to bring home in memories and pictures.

Dolphin families have lived in Watamu’s Protected Park and Reserve in Kenya for as long as people can remember. Watamu Marine Association have been studying these highly intelligent marine mammals since 2010, and have so far found that over 100 different animals inhabit this area, many of them mothers and young calves.

A new baby in the dolphin family in Watamu

There are three species of dolphin that you can see in Watamu; the Indo Pacific Bottlenose dolphin, the rare Indo Pacific Humpback dolphin and the off shore acrobats the Spinner dolphins. Whoever you see please enjoy them naturally but do remain in the boat. Dolphins are wild and have over 100 teeth! Here are some guidelines from Watamu Marine Association that will help you enjoy your experience and help protect our Watamu dolphins:

  • Do not touch dolphins. As said swimming with dolphins is strongly not suggested, and clearly not touching dolphins as well.
  • Do not feed dolphins or throw objects in the water to attract them.
  • Do not make sudden or loud noises like banging on the boat or shouting. This can damage their hearing and interfere with their communication, navigation and prey location.
  • Do not jump in and swim with dolphins unless they come to you first, and you are already in the water. Chasing dolphins to swim with them may place both you and the dolphins at risk. Especially if they have young.

If you would like to watch our wild dolphins please contact reception, we can put you in touch with experienced captains that can take you on their boats safely, privately or on a shared group. Going on a Dhow Cruise is also a wonderful way to meet dolphins.