Diving with Dolphins report

[HJ]

Hello All. I'm back from my Bahamas trip and wanted to give you a report. I received many helpful tips and advice here, so I'd like to repay that a bit with some trip observations...

All my pool practicing really paid off. On our first day out from Bimini on Geoffrey Hannan's 90' Indigo (Dolphin swims, swimming with dolphins in Bimini, eco-oriented wild dolphin swims), we had lots of interaction with a pod of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins (Stenella frontalis). They varied from a few to up to 15-20 at a time. Since this was our first day out (11 guests, 3 crew), we only had X amount of free time with the dolphins, but that time was spectacular. We were in 25-30' of blue, clear water on the Bahama Banks, and the dolphins wanted to play. Take a look at the dolphins shots; I'm the human with the Mares Avanti Tre bi-fins and the black rash guard. (all photos courtesy and © of boat biologist Mark Corcoran)

My descents were smooth and ear-clearing worked well. My dive times weren't long (I always forgot to start my watch, so I'm just guessing that they were in the 45 sec range), and it was hard to relax at the surface with all the action going on underneath me.

You'll notice that my arms are at my sides. We were specifically instructed by Capn' Geoffrey to do this. Apparently, reaching out to touch the dolphins is considered an aggressive act and they leave the area. I really had to concentrate to not reach out. The really neat thing is that the dolphins follow you down and then as you ascend, they circle around you (see the one pic where I'm in the middle of them). They came so close (inches) that I was stunned, and when one of them came right up next to me and looked me dead in the eyes with its eye, I was immobilized with awe. It was a gentle, inquisitive eye, and I could have stayed there forever.

At the end of this first day (after the dolphins had moved on), the sandy bottom was too tempting, so after a couple of attempts, I reached and grabbed the sand at 25-30' or 8-9 meters. This was the deepest I had ever gone. Relaxing on the surface and on the way down was the trick for me. On my last dive, the boat captain was sitting on the bottom and he saw me descending and motioned for me to join him. I did, and we both ended up sitting on the bottom and grinning at each other. When I finally looked up at the surface and the boat, I realized that I was an air-breathing mammal, so I relunctantly headed back up.

Unfortunately, we caught some weather after that great first day and were stuck in port for the next few days (although we had lots to on or around Bimini). On the final full day we did two reef dives (see other photos), and I tried out a monofin. (can anyone tell me which mono that is? I think it's a Waterways Nemo(?), but don't know which one) I wasn't used to the stiff monofin, so I eventually traded for some Mares Volo Race bi-fins and also some very long Hammerhead/Nemo/Waterway bi-fins (I swapped with the photographer). Those were very cool (sorry, no pictures).

All in all, it was a great trip, and the freediving went better than expected. I have you and lots of pool practicing to thank.

HJ

[Gwaihir]

wow ! I must say i wish I was there ..
Thanx for the share. Looks like you had a great time.

[cdavis]

Great Report and great pics, Thank You!

When you going back? And don't tell us that you are not trying to figure out how to do it again.

Connor

[HJ]

Here are some more pix of just the dolphins. (all photos courtesy of and © by Mark Corcoran)

And yes, I'm already thinking about a return trip ;-)

[shoutatthesky]

That is so cool! Thanks for sharing your story and photos. (I really love the monofins those dolphins are using)

[Will]

The week before you I ran an introductory course in freediving aboard the Indigo. We had some great dolphin encounters as well, which I wrote about in the Vertical Blue news page here. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is passionate about dolphins, freediving, or just having a relaxing cruise in the Bahamas.
Cheers,
William Trubridge

[Crazys13]

Wow, I am very jealous of you! I am going to Mexico in august, which is apparently the peak of the whale shark season, but what I really dream about is swimming with dolphins. They are just such a nice animal, with amazing abilities. They are just out to have a good time, I love them. I got to fly over bimini on my way into Ft. Lauderdale and boy, did the water look perfect. Good luck on your next outing!

-John

[HJ]

Originally Posted by Will

The week before you I ran an introductory course in freediving aboard the Indigo. We had some great dolphin encounters as well, which I wrote about in the Vertical Blue news page here. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is passionate about dolphins, freediving, or just having a relaxing cruise in the Bahamas.
Cheers,
William Trubridge

Hello Will. Actually, you were on the trip right after mine (April 13-18). I would have liked to have changed mine to match yours, but I couldn't alter my schedule. Next time!

Good report on your website. Interesting how we both talk about the spiraling dolphins on ascent.

I also want to mention Geoffrey Hannan as the boat's skipper, Mark Corcoran (who not only took the photos but also cooked the meals), and Inez as third crew member. They were an incredibly helpful and knowledgeable crew. This is an excursion well worth recommending.

Here a few more photos from Mark of me and my friend Richard. I love the way Richard is just hanging there. All the photos in my posts from here up are courtesy and © Mark Corcoran. As you can see in the one photo below, I'm shooting another camera, my Olympus 770SW, which is really a neat little camera, good to 10 meters down. I might post some of those later.

Harald

P.S. Congrats on your FI record!

[monkeyhatfork]

very very cool

[ADELENELYNCH]

HJ, thanks for sharing the experience. Sounds awesome! I've always wanted to freedive with dolphins in crystal clear waters! Will definitely do that someday.

[HJ]

Hi Gang! Glad you enjoyed the pix and story. A few more photos to round out the report... from left to right: (1) and (2) the boat (Indigo) at harbor at Bimini Sands Beach Club on southern tip of South Island; (3) co-excursionist Pep Aubert from Barcelona dancing with the dolphins; (4) checking out the dolphins topside; and (5) Captain Geoffrey Hannan and First Mate Mark Corcoran and First Dog. (photos 3-4 courtesy and © Mark Corcoran)

It's fun re-living the trip going through the pictures. --HJ

[ReefTroll]

Very cool trip there, thanks for sharing!