Dolphin Swimming

Carnival in Cozumel 2010

// January 20th, 2010 // No 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 // No 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 // 6 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 // No 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 // 1 Comment » // 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 // 4 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!

Before Office Hours in Dolphin Discovery Cayman

// April 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Locations, News, Riviera Maya

March 20, 2009, Grand Cayman – Over 380 people enjoyed what one guest dubbed, “one of the best BOH events I’ve ever been to at a really remarkable facility,” while mingling with other Chamber of Commerce members at the Thursday evening event held at Dolphin Discovery Cayman. The record number of attendees were welcomed by Chamber President, Stuart Bostock who commented how, “pleased the Council and I are that the owners have decided to join the Chamber of Commerce and to host this popular networking and business development event to showcase their multi-million dollar investment to the membership.”

The journey to open the facility started over 12 years ago until formally opened on December 15, 2008. Since that time the business has shown growth and potential and the facility has welcomed local residents, hotel/condo guests, cruise ship passengers, physically and mentally handicapped persons and many school children have already enjoyed the wonderful educational experience provided by swimming with the dolphins through special programmes created by DDC.

The park itself features a lagoon that is 210’ feet long by 115’ and 12’‘ deep at its deepest point, and holds 2.5 million gallons of water. Over 12 million gallons of water are pumped per day equating to some 4 and a half transfers of the lagoon each day. It houses one of the most advanced life support systems in the world that has total redundancy. DDC is the most advanced facility of the Dolphin Discovery Family featuring everything from full hurricane design and awareness to a full IP digital based photo lab.

Guests were delighted with the full tour provided to Chamber members enabling them to tour the building which is over 14,000 square feet and features a state of the art fish house, marine lab for the dolphins, trainer’s suite, photo and video lab, gift shop, offices and various other services need to run the operation. The crowd was additionally wowed by the trainers who provided a short dolphin show with a wonderful narrative provided for the guests. The entertainment concluded to resounding applause that was perfectly timed was as the sun set to the west.

Gene Thompson, co-owner of the DDC noted that, ”at a cost of some US $9 million we have invested for the long term future of the Cayman Islands with a view to work, contribute, and grow with our beautiful islands. We have partnered with CTF to provide a joint marketing programme and are working with various other organizations in the tourism industry to do our part to improve the quality of our tourism product. We are faced with many challenges from other locations in the Caribbean and our remit is to be the best facility of its kind in the Caribbean and we strive to do this every day with Customer Service first, value and physical appearance of the facility.”

In closing Mr. Thompson thanked, “a few people that have been very supportive through this project. Firstly I would like to thank Almightly God for strength to continue to fulfill this dream, The Government of the Cayman Islands, the department of Agriculture, the Cayman Turtle Farm and Joey Ebanks, Clan Construction, Mr. Ken Hydes of Midas Consulting and last but by no means least, the Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to host the event.”

Cozumel, the diver’s turquoise paradise

// January 26th, 2009 // No Comments » // Cozumel, Locations

Cozumel is an island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea in southeastern Mexico. It is a popular tourist destination due to its coral reefs and water sports such as diving, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, and more.

photo credit: jchessma

Around the classic period 300-900 B.C. Cozumel became one of the most important sanctuaries in the Yucatan region. The Mayans considered the island a sacred shrine. The name of the Island from the Mayan Kùutsmil, land of swallows. The temples here were a place of pilgrimage, especially by women who were either pregnant or wanted to get pregnant.

Also, it was on this island where all kinds of merchandise arrived from many places for storage before being sent in canoes to other locations. The first Spanish visitor was Juan de Grijalva in 1518, who proclaimed the land as property of the Spanish Crown. A year later, Hernan Cortez visited the island, it was the first site touched by his army. The Mayans accepted their domination peacefully and the conqueror proceeded to destroy many of the Mayan temples. An outbreak of smallpox devastated the population, and by 1570 only 30 Mayan were left alive on the island. Mayan trade was nullified so the inhabitants were forced to depend only on agriculture for their survival.

Several pirates used Cozumel and Isla Mujeres as an operations base. The island was not resettled until 1848. During Mexico’s Independence many Mayans escaped to Cozumel, Holbox and Isla Mujeres. From mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th, Cozumel economy flourished becoming an important port in Mexico. During World War II, the U.S. built an air base for planes hunting U-boats in the mid-Atlantic and an airport was built.

Around the year 1960, Jacques Cousteau discovered the richness of the coral reef surrounding the island and made underwater enthusiasts aware of Cozumel’ existence. This, together with the construction of a much larger airport in 1970, boomed Cozumel tourism.

Dolphin Discovery Cozumel