Crossed off the bucket list: Swimming with the Dolphins at SeaWorld San Diego

We are animal lovers and since my son was 5 months we have been going to SeaWorld at least once a year. 10 years ago when I was pregnant with Nico, I did the beluga interaction program, and when I told Nico about it he wanted to do it. Every time we have visited the park, he asks if he could do it. But here it is the thing, you need to be at least 10 years old and 48 inches. So, we promised him that for his 10th birthday he was going to get as a birthday present the water interaction program.

We were initially scheduled to go on February, just a couple of weeks after his birthday, however due to the hundreds of sea lions that needed to be rescued by SeaWorld team, the interaction had to be rescheduled. We also switched to the dolphin interaction because even at this moment, some of the rescue team members are not available for the beluga program. (I have to praise here my son for his maturity and understanding of the circumstances and not being disappointed.)

Although SeaWorld was nice enough to provide us with passes for the park, our family bought the tickets for the Dolphin Interaction program as a birthday present for my son. I wanted to tell you all about the program in case you want to do it on the future.

• You will be issued a Sea World wet suit and boots (they come in enough sizes to fit everyone).
• You must remove all jewelry (you get a complimentary locker with your name on it).
• You get a complementary SeaWorld towel (and you get to keep it).
• Children must be at least 10 years old and over 48 inches. 
• No swimming experience is  required.
• Group size is small, with 2 groups of 4, each with a trainer. 
• The first portion of the Interaction was educational (We learned hand signals to get the dolphin to jump out of the water and do other tricks. Between tricks, the dolphins are rewarded with a healthy dose of fresh fish and are encouraged with gentle whistles, ice-cold snowballs and even toys).

• There is also dancing with the dolphins, kisses and feeding them fish treats. 
• You also get to swim with the dolphin.
• Dolphin interaction program is booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are recommended.
• Participants are not allowed to take personal cameras in the water, however if you have your party with you, they can  take pictures from the side of the pool.
• The water temperature is a chilly 55 degrees and it takes a little bit to get acclimated.
• The cost of the Dolphin Interaction Program is $215.00 per person in addition to your park admission fee, so plan to spend the day and enjoy the entire park.  
• They have professional photographers taking pictures and they offer a variety of photo packages.

For more information visit SeaWorld San Diego

Call (800) 25-SHAMU or (619) 226-3901

And off course there is so much more to do at SeaWorld. Lots of animals to see and special events. Right now they have SeaWorld Magic Weekends where you can enjoy some very cool magic shows.