Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins are found in all our world's oceans. These elegant and joyful toothed whales have many small and pointed teeth. However, they do not chew their prey but swallow their prey whole. The dolphins are very social animals and communicate with other dolphins through whistles and clicking sounds. They have a large brain, which means that many zoologists consider dolphins to be the animals with the highest intelligence. Due to their body shape, they have a particularly low resistance in the water. They can reach very high speeds, up to over 50 km/h when swimming.

There are many different species of dolphins, in fact over 40 different and in different sizes varying from just over a meter up to over four meters or more. The killer whale is actually the largest and is classified as a dolphin species that can grow to be over eight meters long. The smallest species weigh around 50 kg as adults, while fully grown orca males can weigh over 9 tonnes. All dolphin species live on animal food, mainly fish and squid. The killer whale is the only one that eats other mammals such as seals.

Dolphins have a social behavior and live in groups. If there is plenty of food, sometimes up to 1000 animals gather in large groups. The groups are also there to protect each other against attacks from other animals. Smaller dolphins actually have the ability to kill larger sharks together by colliding and driving their hard noses into the sides of the sharks. Like all whales, dolphins only give birth to one young at a time, and the young usually stay with the mother for about six years.

If you want to read more about the other animals on our site, you can continue here: manta ray,  whale shark,  Turtles,  beat

Diving and interacting with dolphins in the Azores

The Azores in the middle of the Atlantic and belong to Portugal. Several different species of dolphins live here, common, striped, bottlenose dolphin, pilot whales and even killer whales. Out on the open spaces between the different islands, these toothed whales move in their groups in search of food and play. It is common to see these amazing animals appear some distance from or very close to the boat when you are out and on your way to or from the dive sites.

Be prepared with fins, mask and snorkel because it goes away and what may at first seem like a simple thing to jump into the water and swim with these wonderful animals can be physically demanding and stressful and be over in seconds. During the period July – October, these animals are most active and most commonly seen, but they are here all year round. Why not join one of our group trips to the Azores. It is a great diving destination and the clear blue sea with the amazing visibility means you might even see dolphins during the dive.

Best time to see dolphins: all year round

Liveaboard and safaris in Egypt

Our closest coral sea and most popular diving destination from Europe is the Red Sea. In this fantastic coral sea, you will usually always find dolphins. There are several different species and it is common to be able to snorkel with them, sometimes even dive and not being able to see them from a boat is actually unusual, especially in the more southern parts. The dolphins here are found all year round and are often curious and playful and like to swim in the bow of your dive boat where they can scoop up and swim at high speeds without having to waste energy and once a dolphin has started there are often more who want to be along and play. A wonderful experience to lie or stand in the bow of the boat and look down and marvel at these fabulous animals.
We offer trips and liveaboards to Egypt and the Red Sea all year round.

Best time to see dolphins: all year round.

Liveaboard in Socorro, Mexico –
Nautilus Liveaboards

The area is famous for close and personal encounters with manta rays and different kinds of sharks, but it is also very common to see dolphins here. Often both from the boat and actually while diving. There are many kinds of whales and dolphins here and you often hear their communication and singing in the water when you dive and sometimes their sound goes straight through the hull of the boat in the middle of the night. The dolphins here are used to divers and if you're lucky you can get really close, but usually you see them from a little distance. Also the pilot and pilot whales related to the dolphins can sometimes be seen here, these too can appear in the middle of the dive.

When you go out here from the Mexican mainland, the boat can be followed by schools of various toothed whales and even pods of killer whales have been experienced. Revillagigedos, better known as Socorro is located in the eastern Pacific Ocean approximately 400 km outside of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. These islands have been compared to Galapagos in Ecuador and Cocos in Costa Rica thanks to the amount of large animal encounters that take place here.

Best time to see dolphins, all year round but perhaps mostly in November - April

Liveaboard Bahamas

Few places in the world can offer such close interaction with wild dolphins as in the Bahamas. Here there is the opportunity to swim and snorkel with these wonderful animals in shallow, warm waters. Here you have a good view and the animals are used to socializing with people. Although they are wild and choose for themselves whether they want to play and socialize, the chances are good to get them close. On board cruises in the Bahamas, one or more days are often dedicated to these dainty and graceful animals. In the Bahamas there are several different species of dolphins. Some tours are completely focused on dolphins but it is during a limited time of the year that diving with sharks draws more people. At this time of the year, however, the sharks are not as active and cooperative, so you focus on other parts of the archipelago. There will then be more focus on the dolphins and more traditional diving.

Best time to see dolphins: all year round but normally best May – August

Dolphins in South Africa

The waters of two great world oceans meet here at the southern tip of South Africa and bring enormous amounts of nutrients. Regardless of whether you choose the cold waters of the Atlantic or the much warmer parts of the Indian Ocean, there is a lot to see and dolphins here too. They live here all year round and especially during one time of the year. Around May - July almost every year, one of the world's biggest spectacles takes place here, the Sardine run!

Gigantic shoals of sardines move along the South African coast and it does not happen quietly. Sharks, multitudes of sharks, whales, everything from dolphins in huge schools to giant fin whales are shoaling around the sardines. As if that wasn't enough, they are attacked or bombarded by various kinds of seabirds from the surface. This is a spectacle like no other but it is not so much diving as more of a natural spectacle. As a rule, there is more focus on freediving and snorkeling.

For those who want to see dolphins in full action, this is one of the most action-packed things that can be experienced in the animal world, for more details and inquiries about the Sardine run and South Africa, contact us.

Best time to see dolphins: all year round but May – July is the sardine run when there is the most action

Dolphins in the open sea in the Philippines

The Philippines has over 7500 islands and moving here between the islands is currently only done by plane or boat. Boat is by far the most common method, although flying is becoming easier and easier. The dive centers in the Philippines and the few liveaboards that are offered often experience dolphins in large pods. There are many different species found in these parts of the world. Huge shoals of mixed species of dolphins or sometimes pilot whales with hundreds of individuals are often seen from a distance. Especially in the Visayas, the central parts of the Philippines. Even out in the Sulu Sea, these animals are seen very regularly and sometimes every day.

The Sulu Sea which is the most remote place for diving with Tubbataha reefs as its bright shining star offers frequent encounters with these joyful animals. Not only during operation but also on site. Apo Island, Coron, Cebu and Moalboal, Bohol with Anda and Cabilao and Negros with Dauin and Apo Island often offer encounters with different species of dolphins

Best time to see dolphins: all year round but March – October is most frequent

Sea of ​​whales and dolphins Sea of ​​Cortez in Mexico

The large gulf of the Sea of ​​Cortez between the Mexican mainland and the California peninsula is a very rich sea. Marine life thrives here and various kinds of whales and dolphins are common. The world's smallest species of porpoise and whale, the endemic California porpoise or vaquita as it is called in Spanish, also lives here. It is very rare nowadays unfortunately but maybe you can see it here with a liveaboard. However, the chance is unfortunately very small as it is on the verge of extinction. Nowadays, there are perhaps only about 20 animals left in the whole world.

Here, however, there are several other species of dolphins and sometimes even killer whales during selected parts of the year. They go in to hunt seals and whales. If you want to increase the chances of seeing whales and dolphins, you should go on a liveaboard that goes through the entire Sea of ​​Cortez, but unfortunately these tours are not common. We have a tour that runs in September 2022. One of the best places in the world to see whales and dolphins.

Best time to see dolphins: all year round

Dolphins in the Galapagos

The Galapagos is a dream destination for many divers and it really is a dream. There is an incredibly rich marine life here and not least plenty of dolphins. Perhaps best known for large schools of hammerhead sharks and the huge whale sharks but there are plenty of dolphins here too. It is common to see them even from land. The closest you get is of course with a liveaboard and out on the open sea. Up at the northern islands of Wolf and Darwin, which are best known for sharks, dolphins are actually very common. Even when you are diving, they can look forward only a few meters from you.

Here you can see large flocks in the bog wall during transfers between dive sites. Alternatively, watch groups slowly move across the open sea towards new feeding and play areas. For those who want to combine a fantastic diving destination with the chance to see really wild dolphins even while diving, the Galapagos is a fantastic destination. In the colder waters of the western parts of the archipelago, it is also quite common to see larger species such as pilot whales and killer whales.

Best time to see dolphins: all year round