Swimming with Dolphins in Singapore

Singapore's location at the crossroads of Southeast Asia ensures that water sports and marine life figure prominently on the itinerary of many who visit the city-state, including dolphin swimming. Unfortunately, the island is not a hotbed for swimming or diving with dolphins in the wild. The closest location for snorkeling or scuba diving with wild dolphins is Batam Island, which is only 15 miles away, but in Indonesia and going there requires applying for a tourist visa. Far more convenient is the dolphinarium at Sentosa Island's Underwater World, which has a dolphin swimming program offering controlled encounters with these marine mammals.

Underwater World
A ticket for Underwater World's Swim with the Dolphins program includes general admission to the park, as well as a snack box and drinks and a program t-shirt. Friends and family who accompany a dolphin program participant, but are not participating in the dolphin swim themselves, receive a 20 percent discount to the park's general admission fee. Participants must be at least six years of age, 3 feet tall and in good health. The park requires participants (or their legal guardians) to sign indemnity forms, and Underwater World conducts one or two dolphin swims per day.

The dolphins at Underwater World are of a variety called the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, noted for their pink skin color with grey speckles. Prior to going into the dolphin tank, approximately 15 minutes are spent on safety and orientation. All participants must wear a life preserver in the dolphin tank. Roughly 45 minutes are then spent in the tank with the dolphins. Activities include learning some hand signals that trainers use to cue dolphins to perform basic stunts and hand feedings

Getting There
Underwater World is located on Sentosa Island, a small island immediately off the south-central coast of Singapore. The main way onto Sentosa is the Sentosa Express, a monorail that departs from the vicinity of the Harbourfront Station of Singapore's MRT system (the city-state's metro). Another more scenic, but also more expensive option is the cable car between Sentosa and Mt. Faber.

Safety
Misconceptions about dolphin size are common, and most dolphins are much larger than the typical human. The average Indo-Pacific humpack is almost 9 feet long and weighs about 440 lbs, roughly the same size as a bull shark. These dolphins are big predatory marine mammals, and should not be taken for granted. Follow the instructions of the dolphin trainers at all times, and keep your hands away from the dolphins' eyes and blow-holes.