Dolphin Cove Jamaica – Trip Review

Just so you know …

• Reservations, paid in advance, are highly recommended for any of the dolphin experiences. If you are only paying for admission and not doing a dolphin interactions, it doesn’t really matter whether or not you have reservations.
• If you have a prepaid reservation, make sure you bring your receipt with you.
• Absolutely do not go on cruise ship days. This is true for the most popular activities.
• You must be able to swim and over age 8 to do any of the dolphin programs other than the Encounter. Children age 8-10 must be accompanied by a paying adult. Those over age 10 can participate without a paying adult.
• Pregnant women are not allowed to participate in the Dolphin Swim programs.
• Check in and purchasing the tickets is time-consuming. Make sure you allow enough time to get to your tour on time.
• There is a liability waiver which you are required to sign.
• Plan on about 3-4 hours, at least, to get your money’s worth. Dolphin Cove is pricey, but if you stay at least 3-4 hours, you will be able to get your money’s worth.
• Wear a swimsuit or shorts. Their staff and website will tell you that the encounter is held in knee deep water. Unless you are over 8ft tall, you will find that is not true. We were in at least 3ft of water for the Dolphin Encounter. Look at the pictures to see for yourself.
• Wear light-weight clothing so that they will dry quickly.
• Don’t forget to bring a towel.
• Lunch is available at a restaurant on the beach. We didn’t stay for lunch so we can’t comment on the quality of the food. The menu has hot dogs, burgers, fries, jerk chicken.
• Like Disney, the exit is through a gift shop offering primarily Dolphin Cove memorabilia
• If you plan on interacting with the dolphins at all, don’t wear earrings with hoops, hats, sunglasses, or rings unless the backs are smooth. All such items have to be removed prior to interacting with the dolphins due to concern for possible injury to the dolphin.
• Don’t put on sun tan lotion before interacting with the dolphins for their safety. Unless you used biodegradable sunscreen, you will be asked to wash it off for the safety of the animals.
• You are not allowed to take pictures of yourself doing any of the dolphin programs. There is an observation deck from which a member of your group could stand and take pictures of you. The encounter program is the closest to the observation deck. The dolphin swim program was much further away. You couldn’t expect to get good pictures that far away without a zoom lens. Don’t bother bringing a waterproof camera either. You cannot have any cameras of any kind in the immediate area with the dolphins. This is non-negotiable.
• We got the CD and video combo. The CD alone was about US$45 or $50 so we figured we would just get the combo for $79. They played snippets of them so we knew that the disc worked and that the included pictures were ours. What we didn’t realize was that the CD and video included photos of all the people who did the encounter with us. If you are with a group, there is no need to buy individual CDs or videos. Get the CD/video combo instead.
• You pick up the photos in the same general area where you bought them. The DVD though is clear across the property closer to the exit. If you buy the CD/DVD combo you have to trek to two places. Be prepared to wait.
• The property is not handicap-accessible as far as I could tell. We went down a series of stairs to get to the main activity area on the beach. It is certainly not stroller or wheelchair-friendly. The path trough the Jungle Trail is fine for able bodied people; but, it is narrow, unpaved and uneven. Wear comfortable shoes.
• If you have babies with you, you may have some challenges. I doubt that you can or should take an infant with you on the motor boats. The boat holds two adults and a child plus the captain. The sea is rough, at least when we went. We needed to hold on to the grab bar on the boat. If you have a child with you, that child will need to be able to hold on himself or herself. Yes, you are wearing life vests; but, I am very vigilant about recognizing potential safety risks. Strollers are difficult. There are age requirements for some experiences.
• Dolphin Cove sports membership in The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums, which prohibits them from using dolphins from Taiji, Japan. I was happy to learn that.
• If you have seen dolphins before and are not interested in interacting with the dolphins, I don’t see much point in going to Dolphin Cove. You can snorkel elsewhere and for less money. Aviaries are quite popular at the many gardens around. You can kayak at the beach near our villa and the beach there is bigger and less rocky. It seems there are only two sting rays. As for the water slide, Jewel Lagoon Water Park and Mystic Mountain both have water slides. Konoko has iguanas. Swamp Safari has iguanas and snakes.
• There is no Dolphin Show so don’t go expecting one like at SeaWorld or the Aquarium in Chicago or Atlanta.
• The 15 minutes or so with the dolphins in the Dolphin Encounter experience is not per person but per group. More time was spent on the introductory talk than with the actual dolphin.
• If you read the Trip Advisor Dolphin Cove Jamaica online reviews, people who did the swim with one dolphin or the ultimate experience with two dolphins enjoyed it but almost everyone points out how short the time is, especially given the price. The swim is about 10-15 seconds. For the nose push, where the dolphins push you up by your feet, it is one shot deal.
• For the little individual time that each person has with the dolphins, I don’t know that I would spring for a more expensive program than the Dolphin Encounter. The other experiences seem like fun but are pricey. If swimming with the dolphins is on your bucket list, then go for it; otherwise, the Dolphin Encounter might be a good option for you.
• A little bird told me that if you swim to the end of the snorkeling enclosure, you can interact with the dolphins through the fence.
• Yes, it is expensive; but, Dolphin Experiences anywhere are pretty pricey. Photos, videos, food and transportation are not included in the price. Expect to pay extra for those.
• If it is windy, you won’t be able to do the boat ride or the kayaking for safety reasons. Snorkeling would be equally challenging. If the sea is rough, the stingrays have a tendency to stay close to the sand and try to burrow in the sand. This will make it almost impossible to get to pet them.
• It is best to be dropped off than for you to drive yourself. The parking is very limited and the entrance is literally at the side of the road almost in a corner.