Swimming with Dolphins at Home Is Illegal and Unsafe

Dolphins are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet, nearly as smart as humans. In the wild, they often appear friendly toward people, swimming up close to boats and jumping playfully near swimmers.

But dolphins are actually wild, powerful animals that can be very aggressive, especially in the wild. Feeding and swimming with dolphins may seem like a good idea, but it actually can be very harmful to both dolphins and humans.

So what about places where you can pay to swim with dolphins?

Swimming with Dolphins

Swimming with domesticated dolphins began as a therapeutic exercise for children and people with certain kinds of physical and mental disorders, but in recent years it has been expanded to allow for other people to interact with dolphins under very controlled conditions.

So can you replicate this experience in your home? Probably not.

Home Pools Aren’t Safe for Dolphins

Unless you are a multi-billionaire, you probably aren’t going to be able to afford the special facilities required to house and maintain a population of domesticated dolphins in your home.

First of all, dolphins are salt-water creatures. Most home pools contain highly treated fresh water that would be instantly toxic to dolphins.

Second, dolphins require a lot of space to swim around, so your backyard pool would have to be not only larger than an Olympic sized swimming pool, but also more than 15 or 20 feet deep in order to accommodate dolphins.

Dolphins Require a Lot of Professional Care

Then there’s the care and feeding of dolphins. These wild animals require around the clock attention from highly trained animal handlers, not to mention the elaborate veterinary care they need.

No, if you love swimming with dolphins, your best choice would be to have this experience under the controlled conditions of a professional operation, rather than your backyard swimming pool. Not only will you enjoy it better, but the dolphins will as well.