Dolphin Swimming

Whale Watching Tours in Los Cabos

// December 1st, 2011 // View Comments // News, Sea Life, Vallarta, cabo

Whale watching with Dolphin Discovery

Weighing up to 73,000 pounds and measuring up to 50 feet, the gray whale in the Pacific Ocean is a spectacle to see. Every fall, the gray whale makes the longest migration of any mammal—a 6,000 mile journey from cold waters of Alaska and Siberia to the warm ocean of Baja California. The whales leave their home and arrive in late December to escape the chilly winter and take refuge to birth their young. They make the Pacific Ocean their home from January to March, offering us the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them up close in their habitat. Watching these awe-inspiring creatures is a sight not to be missed.

Breaching, whale watching in Los Cabos

During the tour, you might be a spectator to a number of behaviors. While you’re on the boat, keep an eye out for spouting, the visible exhaling of air by the whale. This is the first indication of the proximity of whales. Another whale behavior is breaching: when the whale leaps out of the water and falls back with a splash. Whales are constantly moving and can remain underwater from two to five minutes, meaning you have to keep your eyes open and anticipate their direction so you will be ready for the next breach and sprout. Your guides will also be able to tell you where to look as they have become experts in reading whale behavior. While on the tour, you might also see the whales showing their flukes, and hear them sounding their whale song. The most exciting and thrilling behavior is spy-hopping. The whale pushes itself up to the surface of the water until he can see his surroundings. The curious creature comes face-to-face with its observers as you look at him.

Spy-hopping Whale Watching Tour

Although the gray whale is the most popular species, Los Cabos whale watching tours are rich because there might be the chance of seeing an even greater variety of animals. The tour is also available in Vallarta.

Dolphin Discovery takes you on this exciting whale watching tour in Los Cabos and Vallarta on a small boat, zodiac, giving us the ability to move in closer and faster to get an eye-to-eye close up with these stunning and beautiful animals.

Celebrating 10 Years of Manatee Rescue Programs at Dolphin Discovery

// November 16th, 2011 // View Comments // Cancun / Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, News, Riviera Maya, Sea Life

Manatee Family Dolphin Discovery Riviera Maya

Dolphin Discovery is celebrating another incredible milestone in our continuing efforts to protect and conserve endangered  marine animals. It was ten years ago that our team of biologists first participated in the rescue of manatees in Mexico. In 2001, Dolphin Discovery was invited to the state of Tabasco where a group of manatees were living in very poor conditions in a polluted lake. The animals were suffering horribly, extremely malnourished and in desperate need of assistance. Manatees are an endangered species and it was with a sense of urgency that the Dolphin Discovery team joined authorities from the federal government in the rescue operation. The delicate mission was successful, the biologists rescued “Romeo and Juliet”, and brought them back to the Dolphin Discovery facilities in Puerto Aventuras, Riviera Maya for rehabilitation and medical care.

“The Story of Tuuch” a moving video of the rescue of a baby manatee
(”Tuuch” has since been renamed Roberto & is enjoying a fine life in the Riviera Maya)

Since then, Romeo and Juliet have not only survived, but have thrived in their new home. The couple has created a beautiful family through the Dolphin Discovery breeding program, becoming parents to three offspring (as well as fostering the rescued baby “Roberto” and taking him in as their own). The manatee family at Dolphin Discovery has grown over the years through other rescue operations, a testament to the skill and care of our team of biologists and scientists, led by Dr. Roberto Sanchez and their dedication to the preservation of this endangered species.

If you are in Cancun this week, join us in Parque las Palapas downtown for a celebration of our ten years of caring for these noble creatures. November 17, 18 and 19th from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm you can meet members of our team and enjoy activities for the whole family.

We invite you to meet our manatee friends in the Riviera Maya, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres in our unique manatee encounter programs, learn about these gentle giants and even give them a little kiss, it is an experience you will never forget.

Dolphin Moms- Happy Mother’s Day!

// May 6th, 2011 // View Comments // About Dolphins, Sea Life

“It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have…One pair that see through closed doors. Another in the back of her head…and, of course, the ones in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and reflect ‘I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.” -Erma Bombeck

Flowers, domestic appliances and cards crafted from macaroni spelling “I love you mom”, it’s the time of year once again where we celebrate the most tireless of creatures, “the mother”.  Countries around the world will take a day to honour the women who have made us who we are, tended to our scraped knees, forced us to eat our vegetables and provided us with a home full of love.  While the world celebrates “human” mommies, Dolphin Discovery would like to take a moment to tell you all about dolphin mamas and the ways they care for their young.

Pregnancy and birth-  There is no real “season” for dolphin pregnancies, births happen all year long around the world.  Gestation period is one year, yes, twelve long months (thanks mom!).  Females have the ability to bear calves every two years, though three to six years is more common.  Births happen in the water, usually tail-first though nose-first births occur occasionally.  Sometimes a dolphin “aunt” is present at the birth to assist the mother and to provide support (breathe, push, breathe!) Baby dolphins generally weigh around 20 kgs/45 lbs and measure around 100 cm/40 inches in length. The fins of the newborn dolphin are generally pliable and slightly “floppy”, but they gradually become firm.

Caring for a young dolphin- Newborn dolphins stick very close to their mothers, never leaving their side and following their every move.  They learn how to swim and maneuver in the water, and use their mother’s “slipstream” to facilitate their swimming. They nurse below the water, as often as four times an hour for about five to ten seconds per time.  Baby dolphins are completely reliant on mother’s milk for at least the first six months of their lives until they learn how to hunt for fish and may nurse for up to 18 months.  The bond between a mother dolphin and her offspring is strong, a calf typically spends 3 to 6 years close to mom.

Dolphin Discovery is so proud of all our dolphin moms and the human moms on our team as well.  We are family and we welcome your family to join us in our Mother’s Day celebrations.  We’ve got some great Mother’s Day discounts on swim with dolphins programs, what better way to show mom you love her than by sharing the experience of a lifetime with the best moms in the ocean?

Congratulations mommies, felicidades and THANK YOU for all that you do!

Dolphin Discovery 2010 Year in Review

// December 17th, 2010 // View Comments // About Dolphins, Cancun / Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Dolphins for kids, Grand Cayman, Locations, News, Riviera Maya, Sea Life, Tortola, Vallarta, costa maya

It’s that time of year again, the season to join with family and friends and celebrate the holidays, reflect on the year past and look forward to what the new year will bring.  2010 was a busy year for Dolphin Discovery, new ventures, new friends and a whole lot of smiling faces.  Let’s have a look at some of the highlights of 2010…

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Cozumel Welcomes Sea Lions!

Dolphin Discovery Cozumel was thrilled to welcome sea lions into the family this  year, with their feisty characters and silly antics, the sea lion program is a delightful addition to Chankanaab Park.  Pingo and Karla make us laugh every day, and little baby Taco has a huge personality!

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Miss Caribbean World Pageant Tortola

Dolphin Discovery Tortola is a truly beautiful place, but the participants in the Miss Caribbean World Pageant made it gorgeous!  These lovely ladies from all over the Caribbean took time out of their busy schedule to join us for a swim with dolphins in Tortola, we thank them for their visit and offer congratulations once again to winner Marcia Baptiste of Dominica!

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“Por la Libre” Open Water Race

Dolphin Discovery was pleased to be a sponsor of the 10 km open water swim race from Cancun to Isla Mujeres.  More than 500 international athletes hit the water in Cancun and made the ocean crossing to the finish line at Garrafon Park.  Seventeen year old Fernando Betanzos finished first, with an incredible time of 1 hour and 33 minutes!  Televisa Verde made this event extra special by donating 6000 mangrove plants to revitalize the Nichupte Lagoon.

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Manatee Madness in Riviera Maya

Our little family of manatees in Puerto Aventuras had a fantastic 2010.  In June we had a big first birthday celebration for our rescued manatee “Robert”, with a fruit and vegetable birthday cake and a visit from local school children.  In September we welcomed the newest member of the manatee family as Julieta gave birth to a bouncing baby boy,  another success for our reproduction program!

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Merlin the iPad Dolphin

One of the biggest news stories of the year was the release of the iPad and our smart-as-a-whip dolphin Merlin was one of the first to give the tablet a whirl and make his own headlines.  Researchers from “Speak Dolphin” introduced the touch-screen device to Merlin in an effort to bridge communications with our dolphin friends and learn more about these incredible creatures.  The fame has not gone to Merlin’s head, he is as down to earth (down to sea?) as he has always been, a vital part of our Riviera Maya crew.

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“Dive with Dolphins Cozumel”

Dolphin Discovery Cozumel introduced a unique new program this year, “Dive with Dolphins” invites our guests to join dolphins under the sea and discover a whole new way to play.  Chankanaab Park and Cozumel are paradise to scuba divers all over the world, what better way to explore the underwater home of the dolphins?  This was one of my personal highlights of the year, donning the mask and tank and playing with Titan near the ocean floor was a truly phenomenal experience.

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Cruisers Delight, Dolphin Discovery Costa Maya

November 2010 we celebrated the grand opening of our newest dolphinarium in the cruise ship port of Costa Maya near the town of Mahahual.   Located about 400 kms south of Cancun, Costa Maya is a HOT destination for cruise ships!  Dolphin Discovery is excited about our new venture and we look forward to welcoming new friends from the cruising community in 2011 and the years to come.

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This is just a taste of some of the great experiences we’ve had at Dolphin Discovery this year, I could write all day about new births and visiting celebrities and the numerous charity and community events that we were honored to be a part of.  I would like to thank every member of the Dolphin Discovery team for all their hard work and smiles, let’s do it again next year!

To all of you, our guests, we thank you for making 2010 a special year and we wish you a happy and safe holiday season and a new year full of love, life, happiness and success.  Dolphin hugs and kisses to everyone, see you in 2011!

Baby Manatee Born at Dolphin Discovery Riviera Maya

// September 13th, 2010 // View Comments // Locations, Riviera Maya, Sea Life

Baby Manatee Born September 9, 2010 at Dolphin Discovery

Dolphin Discovery is pleased to announce the newest addition to our Riviera Maya family, a beautiful bouncing baby boy manatee!  On Thursday September 9th at 1:00 pm, Julieta gave birth to a male measuring 1.2 meters long, the third calf born to our lovely matriarch.  Immediately after giving birth, Julieta helped the little one to reach the surface to take his first breath and introduced herself as “mom” with physical, visual and auditory contact with the calf.  He is feeding well and adjusting to his new life in Puerto Aventuras.  Julieta is a great mama, keeping a close eye on her newborn, with her experience as a mother we are sure that this lovely new creature will continue to grow and thrive.

Baby Manatee with Mom Julieta at Dolphin Discovery

The reproductive rate of manatees is generally very low.  Females do not reach sexual maturity until the age of 5, males at the age of 9.  Gestation lasts for one year and calves nurse from their moms for about a year and will be reliant on them for up to two years.  Females give birth to one pup at a time and may wait 2-5 years before reproducing again.  Male manatees do not get involved in raising their young, it is the sole responsibility of the mothers.

This is an exciting event for Dolphin Discovery, another success in our breeding program and it’s extra special as manatees are an endangered species.  This new baby gives us an opportunity to continue to learn and gather information and allows our team to explore alternatives and solutions to the problems facing manatees in the wild.  We would like to offer our congratulations not only to Julieta, but to our dedicated team of veterinarians, biologists and trainers.  Welcome to the world little boy!

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.

Boatswain’s Turtle Farm Grand Cayman Island

// June 23rd, 2010 // View Comments // Grand Cayman, Locations, Sea Life

Grand Cayman Island is famous for many things, the beautiful stretch of Seven Mile beach, great scuba diving, snorkeling at Stingray City, swimming with dolphins at Dolphin Discovery (of course!), rum cakes and Boatswain’s Turtle Farm.  The history of the Cayman Islands is closely tied to turtles, the turtle appears on the flag, seal and currency of the islands.  The relationship with the Caymans and turtles goes back to the 1600’s when Caribbean ships would stop at the island for provisions and to stock up on the abundance of turtle meat.  The 17th century saw the beginnings of settlements in the Cayman Islands and turtling became a a main source of income and food for the new islanders.  By the 1800’s, the population of turtles was in serious jeopardy and by the 1960’s they were all but extinct.  In 1968 the Cayman Turtle Farm was established to raise turtles commercially and to research and preserve the sea turtles of the wild. While many of the turtles are still raised for food, thousands of sea turtles born at Boatswain’s are released to the sea, replenishing the wild population of these beautiful creatures.

Dolphin Discovery Grand Cayman is pleased to have such a wonderful neighbour in West Bay and we invite you to pay them a visit before or after you swim with dolphins.  The entrance fee to Boatswain’s Turtle Farm is included in all dolphin swim programs, allowing you to enjoy the turtle enclosures, the education center, the breeding pond, the touch tanks and all animal exhibits including the predator tank with sharks! If you wish to snorkel or enjoy the pools, these “wet” activities are available at a small extra charge.  Boutiques and restaurants will satisfy your shopping and dining needs, purchase souvenirs for loved ones back home or simply sip an ice cold rum drink in paradise while nibbbling a Caribbean delicacy. Dolphin Discovery and Boatswain’s Turtle Farm are the ideal combination for a perfect day on Grand Cayman, a unique shore excursion for Caribbean cruisers, book now and make it an unforgettable part of your Caribbean vacation!

Happy Birthday to Robert the Baby Manatee!

// June 3rd, 2010 // View Comments // Locations, News, Riviera Maya, Sea Life

May 30th, 2009, Dolphin Discovery received a call from Ecosur to come to the assistance of a baby manatee discovered alone in a river in the state of Yucatan.  He was only one or two days old and had been abandoned by his mother, without help there was no way he was going to survive.  A team of veterinarians and marine biologists from Dolphin Discovery hurried to rescue this sweet creature and brought him to the facilities in Puerto Aventuras in a critical state.  He was dubbed “Tuuch”, the Mayan word for “belly button” as his umbilical cord was still attached.

Tuuch was introduced to Julieta in Puerto Aventuras, a mature female manatee who was still nursing her one year old baby.  Despite efforts to get Tuuch to nurse, Julieta could not produce enough milk and the team had to resort to bottle feeding the baby manatee to provide him the nutrients he so desperately needed.  Over the next few months, the veterinary team monitored Tuuch, treating digestive issues and continuing with the bottle feeding.  Despite his failure to grow over the first two months, the team did not give up, they gave him the highest levels of medical care, nutrition, stimulation and love, working with him 24 hours a day.  He learned to socialize with the other manatees who accepted him into their little family and he learned how to play, he loves his toys!  By September, he began eating lettuce and vegetables and a whole new world opened to this beautiful little guy.  In January of 2010, he was able to permanently join the other manatees in their lagoon in Puerto Aventuras and he continued to improve and thrive.  In February he was renamed “Robert” after head veterinarian Dr. Roberto Sanchez.

In November the Dolphin Discovery “Team Tuuch” was honoured by IMATA, receiving awards and recognition for their team work and conservation efforts with their rescued manatee.  All of us at Dolphin Discovery are proud of the team, we are grateful for their expertise and tireless dedication in the rehabilitation of Robert.

One year later and Robert is doing great!  He’s participating in encounters with our guests, eating well and continuing to grow.  This week Dolphin Discovery threw a little party for Robert, bringing him a cake of lettuce and fruit, singing “Happy Birthday” and inviting local school children to join in the festivities.  Local artist Allan Vazquez created a beautiful portrait of Robert and invited the children to add their handprints for posterity.  We wish Robert a very happy birthday and many, many more!

Join us in Puerto Aventuras for our Sea Life Circle Manatee program and you can get a kiss from our dear Robert!  Enjoy some time swimming with him, giving him a hug and share a little lettuce with him.  He will welcome you with open flippers!

Please take a moment to enjoy this video dedicated to Tuuch/Robert, it’s a moving journey of love, dedication and hope….