Swimming With Dolphins in Scotland

Swimming with dolphins is a unique activity that can be added to many vacations. People have been fascinated with these strong, beautiful creatures throughout history. Some prehistoric engravings in Africa depict men swimming with dolphins. Today, many tourists want to experience the magnificence and beauty of these intelligent creatures first hand. What better way to do this than to join them in the water and take a swim together? In Britain, Scotland is considered the best place to go for this activity. Swimming with dolphins can be fun when undertaken carefully and under the right circumstances.

  1. Geography

    • Dolphins can be found in Aberdeen Harbour, near Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire, and in the Moray Firth, north of Inverness. However, all of the waters surrounding Scotland are exceptionally cold. Any dolphin swim requires a wetsuit and proper precautions. However, some determined tourists are eager to dive right in.
      Dolphins spend as much as 80% of their time playing, hunting, and exploring below the surface and can travel as far as 40 miles in a single day. Due to their active nature, the locations of wild dolphins cannot always be predicted.

    Types

    • A variety of dolphin species can be found in the waters of Scotland. Bottlenose dolphins and Rissos are the most common species. You can also find Atlantic white-sided dolphins, and white-beaked dolphins. Orca are common in these waters as well. Summer is usually the peak time for dolphin sightings, but they can be experienced year round.

    Features

    • A number of companies organize tours and arrange dolphin swims in Scotland (see Resources). Many tours that feature dolphin swims also include other activities. When investigating your options, make sure you understand exactly what each tour includes. Some boat rides can last for an hour or more and offer several sightseeing opportunities. If members of your party do not want to swim, this type of tour may be ideal. Many also offer a period of dolphin and whale watching in addition to the swim, which will allows you to observe and appreciate the animals in their habitat as well.

    Considerations

    • It should be mentioned that there are serious concerns about the ethics of swimming with dolphins and the conduct of some tours. When interacting with these wild creatures, a knowledgeable specialist should be present. Investigate the reputation of any tour you select. Information available on the Internet, but some tour companies disappear as quickly as they began and may reappear under a different name if they were receiving poor reviews.

    Warning

    • Dolphins are well known for their friendly and playful nature. However, the dolphins swimming off the coast of Scotland are wild creatures. They are not domesticated and may have had very little contact with humans. It is also impossible to know if they have had bad experiences with people in the past. Dangers such as fishing nets may have caused some wild dolphins to wisely associate humans with a need for caution. Approaching wild dolphins in their natural habitat can be dangerous for people and very frightening for the dolphin. You should never undertake this kind of swim alone. Even with a guide, use proper caution.