Dolphin Swimming

Sea Lion Facts

// July 19th, 2010 // View Comments // Cancun / Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Riviera Maya, Sea Life, Vallarta

Everyone loves sea lions, aside from being so handsome, they seem to have a great sense of humour, always making us laugh.  So, what do you know about sea lions?  Let’s have a look at some facts….

–Sea lions are found all over the world, from the Arctic to New Zealand, usually found along rocky coasts where there are rich food sources such as sardines, herring, capelin and squid.

–Sea lions can be distinguished from seals by their visible external ear flaps.

–Sea lions are “pinnipeds’, meaning they have “winged feet”.

–Sea lions are amphibious, they live on both land and water.

–Sea lions are “marine mammals”, meaning they do not lay eggs but do in fact carry and give birth to their young.  Males are “bulls”, females are “cows” and babies are called “pups”.

–Sea lions have a lifespan of 10-15 years in the wild, but in a healthy zoological environment can live 25-35 years.

–Sea lion mamas gestate for 10-12 months.  Their pups are born on land and will nurse from their mother from 4-12 months.

–Sea lions are warm blooded, covered in a layer of fat to protect them from cold temperatures.

–Sea lions breathe air, but can remain under water for up to 40 minutes if hunting for food, accomplished by squeezing their nostrils shut tight.

–Sea lions are very communal, usually living in large colonies of up to 1000, with smaller communities appearing within the group.

–Sea lions aren’t lazy, but they sure do love to hang around on the rocks and bask in the sun.

–Sea lions are intelligent and easy to train, the military has been training them for years for rescue operations in the sea.

–The biggest dangers to sea lions are fishermen, pollution and climate change.  Their predators are killer whales and sharks, though they can swim faster than both they can be taken by surprise.

Dolphin Discovery invites you to get up close and personal with these sweet creatures, our sea lion friends can be found in the following destinations:

Sea Lions Isla Mujeres

Sea Lions Cozumel

Sea Lions Riviera Maya

Sea Lions Puerto Vallarta

Get a hug, a fishy kiss and you will most definitely walk away smiling from your Sea Lion Encounter with Dolphin Discovery!

Please remember to keep our oceans and beaches clean, plastic bags, six-pack rings, garbage of all kinds is very damaging to the sea lions and their environment.  Do what you can to protect our precious marine life, go for a walk on the beach and pick up trash, educate your children, spread the word that if we each do our small part, all earth’s creatures will have a brighter future.

Dolphin Discovery- Mother’s Day Specials

// May 4th, 2010 // View Comments // Cancun / Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Discounts, Grand Cayman, Locations, Riviera Maya, Tortola, Vallarta

Mexico is a country known for its devotion to the family, and no family member is more revered than “Mama”.  Every year on May 10th the entire country pays homage to matriarchs with the annual “Dia de las Madres” or “Mother’s Day” celebrations.  Young children create cards and gifts and adult children bring flowers and treat their mothers to very special dinners and parties.  The traditional song “Las Mananitas” is sung, often as a serenade outside of mother’s house with mariachis for accompaniment.   “Mama” is the center of attention and the whole family shows her their appreciation on this very special day.  Mothers have been honoured throughout the ages around the world, but the first official “Dia de las Madres” in Mexico wasn’t celebrated until May 10th, 1922 as a result of the petitions by  Rafael Alducin Bedolla, founder of the newspaper “Excelsior”.  We thank him for bringing us such a special day and we thank moms everywhere for all that they do!

Dolphin Discovery would like to show moms just how special they are by offering a 20% discount to mothers on all our swim with dolphins programs in all our locations for the entire month of May!  Guests swimming with their mom get an additional 10% off their own swims too!  Treat your mom to an experience she’ll never forget, book now!  Lots of love to moms everywhere from all our dolphins!

Carnival in Cozumel 2010

// January 20th, 2010 // View Comments // Cozumel, Locations

Put on your glittery feathered masks and get ready to dance the night away, Carnival (more commonly known as “Carnaval”) is returning to Cozumel!  The history of Carnaval is quite ancient, going back to pagan times as a celebration in honor of the Greek wine god Dionysus. Carnaval has evolved over time, fusing the pagan rites with Catholic traditions, celebrating the days leading up to Lent, letting loose before the period of abstinence.   The Carnaval celebration in Cozumel is thought to be one of the oldest in Mexico, having started back in 1876, and the fiestas just get bigger and better each year.  Thousands of travellers flock to this island paradise to kick up their heels, dance and sing and welcome the King and Queen of Carnaval.

This year’s festivities kick off with pre-Carnaval events on the weekend of January 23rd/24th and January 30/31 with presentations of the candidates for King and Queen of Carnaval and music and dancing for everyone with some fantastic live bands including “La Sonora de Margarita Band” and “Banda Cuzamil”.  The vote for King and Queen takes place on Saturday February 6th and the winners will be announced at a big bash on Sunday February 7th in Parque Quintana Roo.

Wednesday February 10th welcomes the official start to Carnaval with the opening ceremonies and the grand coronation of the King and Queen of 2010 .  From February 10-17, it’s non-stop party, with activities programmed every day.  Costume contests for all ages (there’s even a pet costume contest!), dance competitions, food, music and of course parades, the vivid colors of Carnaval will fill the streets of Cozumel.

The grand closing night of Carnaval brings one of Mexico’s most famous and celebrated artists to the stage in Cozumel.  The incredible Alejandra Guzman will be performing a concert that will surely be the highlight of this year’s festivities.  Alejandra Guzman is known as “The Queen of Rock” in Latin America and has been a huge star since the 1980’s, her participation in Carnaval Cozumel makes this the hottest party in Mexico! This is a show that is not to be missed, February 16th in Parque Andres Quintana Roo, open to the public for all to enjoy.

We at Dolphin Discovery Cozumel wish everyone a very festive and safe Carnaval season, we hope to see you at the party!

For details of specific events, please visit Cozumel Insider for their fantastic calendar of Carnaval Cozumel 2010.

Dolphin Discovery Cozumel Welcomes Sea Lions!

// January 13th, 2010 // View Comments // Cozumel, Locations, News

Dolphin Discovery Cozumel is very pleased to have some new residents, sea lions have come to our island paradise!  Our sea lion guests have a beautiful new home and are ready to put on a great show, swim with you and even give you a fishy little kiss.  The dolphins and manatees in Cozumel are happy to have new friends with them and give them a big welcoming hug and squeal.  Join us in Cozumel for our Sea Lion Discovery program, laugh, smile and frolic with these friendly creatures in the beautiful Chankanaab Park.

Sea lions are part of the “pinniped” family, “pinniped” meaning “wing foot”, a great way to describe their flippers.  They are carnivorous marine mammals who spend much of their time in the water hunting for food, but they also like to relax on the shore and soak up the sun.  Male sea lions are called “bulls”, females are “cows” and the bulls like to create harems of females during mating season to create their legacy of baby sea lions called “pups”.  A group of sea lions is called a “colony” and they love to hang out close together and are frequently seen at play on rocky shores.  Baby sea lions are born on land but are ready to swim within a few weeks of birth.  The whiskers of the sea lion are much like those of cats, very sensitive and necessary for finding their way through a sometimes dark ocean.  Sea lions eat fish and invertebrates such as octopus and will eat as much as seven to sixteen kilograms or fifteen to thirty five pounds each day!  Sea lions are incredibly intelligent animals and can be trained to perform a variety of actions and interact with humans, they’ve been delighting humans for years with their antics.

Dolphin Discovery Cozumel is excited to announce our schedule of sea lion activities.  Join us for two shows daily, the first at 12:00 pm and the second at 2:30 pm.  We offer two times daily for swimming and interacting with sea lions in our Sea Lion Discovery program, 10:30 am and 1:00 pm. Contact our bilingual customer service representatives to book your Sea Lion Discovery experience today!

For more photos check out our Dolphin Discovery Cozumel Flickr page. Join us on Facebook at our Dolphin Discovery Fan Page and share your experiences and photos with us!

Swim With Manatees in Cozumel

// December 10th, 2009 // View Comments // Cozumel, Locations, News

It’s a mermaid!  It’s a walrus!  No, it’s a manatee, the slow and graceful elephant of the sea.  Once thought by sailors to be mermaids, these gentle giants can grow as long as 13ft/4m and weigh up to 1300 lbs/600 kgs!  These graceful swimmers usually move pretty slowly, but can manage speeds up to 15 mph/24 kmh in short bursts.  Much like dolphins, manatees are mammals and need to come to the surface of the water every 3 or 4 minutes to breathe fresh air.  Manatees are herbivores, eating as much as one tenth of their body weight in sea plants on a daily basis, the equivalent of 200 heads of lettuce.  Sometimes referred to as sea cows, the manatee has no natural enemy and is a peaceful creature.  Unfortunately because they move so slowly, they often can not get out of the way of fast moving boats and can suffer injuries from propellers. Manatees are generally solitary creatures, only seeking company when they are looking to breed.  Calves are born underwater and pushed to the surface by their mother for air.  They weigh about 70 lbs/30 kg at birth and can often swim on their own within an hour of entering the world.  Baby manatees stay with their mothers for up to two and a half years, learning to eat sea plants after a few months but continuing to drink their mother’s milk.  Manatees communicate with clicks and chirping sounds and can be heard “squealing” when at play.

Dolphin Discovery offers you a unique opportunity to swim with these incredible creatures in our Cozumel facility.  We offer the only swim with manatees program in the Caribbean, a once in a lifetime chance to get up close and personal with a manatee, share a kiss and even feed them their lunch.  Manatees are an endangered species and are in need of protection and the help of humans to survive. Dolphin Discovery is proud to have expert veterinarians onsite to provide the utmost care to these special beings, performing rescues and managing a breeding program to ensure the continuation of the species.  Book your Manatee Encounter program in Cozumel now to create memories of a lifetime.

Ironman Cozumel 2009

// November 30th, 2009 // View Comments // Cozumel, News

The island of Cozumel was the proud host of an exciting international event this past weekend.  The Ironman Triathlon came to town and thrilled the crowds of thousands with an incredible display of strength and endurance.  The race started early Sunday morning at the home of Dolphin Discovery, Chankanaab Park with the 2.4 mile/3.8 km swimming event.  The swimmers put up faster than usual times in the water with most participants finishing in under fifty minutes.  The race continued with the 112 mile/180 km bike ride around the island which was followed by the running portion, a full marathon of 26.2 miles/42.2 km.  The weather was friendly to the particpants, a relatively cool and overcast day which prevented much of the heat exhaustion or sunburns that might have come with the usual sunshine and heat of Cozumel.  The crowds along the street were encouraging and supportive, the local Cozumeleños were thrilled to cheer and applaud everyone passing by.  People from around the world gathered in Cozumel, waving their national flags to support their local heroes and cheering them on throughout the grueling race.

Ironman Cozumel 2009 Champions Rutger Beke and Yvonne van Vlerken

The winner of the men’s event was Rutger Beke from Belgium, putting in an impressive time of 8:18:40.  He donned a sombrero as he smiled and waved at the crowd, mariachis playing a celebratory tune for his exceptional performance.  Yvonne van Vlerken from the Netherlands was the women’s champion with a time of 9:06:58, not only leading the pack of women but coming in 10th overall with only 9 men finishing with faster times.

Ironman Cozumel 2009 Men's Champion Rutger Beke

Dolphin Discovery salutes and congratulates all 1900 competitors in this phenomenal event and we look forward to seeing everyone next year for another great Ironman Cozumel Triathlon.  For more photos of this great race, please see our Ironman Cozumel 2009 Flickr set.  Felicidades a todos!

NAGE AVEC LES DAUPHINS À DOLPHIN DISCOVERY!

// October 6th, 2009 // View Comments // Cancun / Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Locations, Riviera Maya, Tortola, Vallarta

Si tu souhaites nager avec les dauphins, mais la meilleure option pour vivre cette expérience est à Dolphin Discovery. Situé dans Mexique: Puerto Aventuras-Riviera Maya, Cancún-Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Sea Life Park Vallarta et dans des Caraibes: Gran Caïman et Tortola.

À Dolphin Discovery, tu pourras caresser la peau des dauphins. Tu pourras jouer avec eux dans l’eau et écouter leurs sons. Tu pourras donner et recevoir des bisous et voir les dauphins dans leur environnement. Ton nouvel ami te salueront, te chanteront et tu pourras danser avec lui.

Les entraîneurs sont des professionnels, ils se consacrent à vous offrir la meilleure expérience avec les dauphins. Nager avec les dauphins à Dolphin Discovery, c’est plonger dans un monde d’émotions dans un environnement naturel.

Nager avec les dauphins est une expérience unique et merveilleuse que tu ne peux pas rater! Une expérience nouvelle que tu n’oublieras jamais.

Nous t’invitons à savoir plus des nos merveilleux programmes de nage avec dauphins:

-Dolphin Royal Swim
-Dolphin Swim Adventure
-Dolphin Encounter
-Sea Life Discovery Plus
-Dolphin Discovery Swim
-Dolphin´s Lovers Swim

L´Expérience de ta Vie à Dolphin Discovery!

Swim With Dolphins in Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta- Great deals!

// September 18th, 2009 // View Comments // Cozumel, Discounts, Vallarta

Imagine yourself in paradise, warm ocean breezes, unparalleled beaches and the chance to have the adventure of a lifetime. Dolphin Discovery Cozumel and Dolphin Discovery Puerto Vallarta invite you to live your dream of swimming with the dolphins and are pleased to offer you some great deals and discounts on our swim with dolphin programs.

Cruising to Cozumel or planning a dive trip to the incredible Mesoamerican reef? Join us at Dolphin Discovery Cozumel in Chankanaab Park and swim with the dolphins in the turquoise sea.  Action and adventure await, get a kiss from a dolphin, dance and sing with these playful creatures and feel the rush of the famous foot push.  Guests of Dolphin Discovery Cozumel are invited to enjoy the flora and fauna of Chankanaab National Park, snorkel, dive, eat, drink and be merry in this stunning location .

Dolphin Discovery Cozumel Discounts-  Book your dolphin swim in the month of September 2009 for visits up to November 30th, 2009 and receive a 30% discount on dolphin swim program regular prices. Free transportation is included in the purchase of three Dolphin Swim Adventures or two Dolphin Royal Swims and we’re even offering discounts on photo packages if you purchase in advance.

Visitors to Puerto Vallarta will find fun for the whole family in Aquaventuras Park, the location of Dolphin Discovery Puerto Vallarta.  The park offers water slides, a children’s water play area, a lazy river, amid beautiful surroundings, but the highlight of the day will be the time you spend swimming with the dolphins.  All our programs are designed for the highest level of interaction with the dolphins, giving guests the chance to get up close and personal with these friendly ocean creatures.

Dolphin Discovery Puerto Vallarta Discounts-  Book your dolphin swim in the month of September 2009 for visits up to November 30th, 2009 and receive a 30% discount on swimming with dolphin program regular prices.  Free transportation is included in the purchase of three Dolphin Swim Adventures or two Dolphin Royal Swims.  Don’t forget to purchase your photos and videos in advance for great savings!