Bahamas Trip

An adventure with wild dolphins.

The crystal clear waters of the Bahamas are what drove Dr. Herzing to start her study in 1985. Since then, she has observed and tracked four generations of Atlantic spotted dolphin and bottlenose dolphin during annual field seasons that last 100 days almost every summer. To date, the Bahamas is still one of the few places to observe dolphin behavior underwater. As a foremost expert in dolphin behavior, Dr. Herzing, along with other WDP staff members, will explain the nuances of communication between the dolphins, including their foraging, mating, and aggressive behavior.

Touching, feeding, or harassing of the dolphins is not allowed. We observe a mutual and respectful relationship with these individuals, many of whom we have known for 30 years. We have grandmothers and even grandfathers (identified by our benign genetics work collecting fecal material) who are part of the community. Observing dolphins in the water, we use still photography, video, and advanced sound recording devices to document the intimate details of the dolphin's underwater behavior. We record signature whistles, hunting sounds, and high-frequency ultrasonic vocalizations. Please see our page describing our work on Dolphin Communication.

We only have a maximum of six participants on any given trip to insure a unique experience with observation of wild animals "In Their World, On Their Terms" remaining the priority. Participants will be able to gain exposure to working in the field alongside our team. In between the dolphin work, we usually snorkel on different shipwrecks, our crew will fish for our dinner, or we will just observe the spectacular sunsets. We use only snorkel equipment during our work, and participants should be comfortable in the water for extended periods of time and have some practice snorkeling before participating. Please read A Typical Day on Stenella for more details.

Trips depart from Florida on Tuesday mornings, cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, and return to Florida 9 days later, debarking on Wednesday afternoon. Although we occasionally do shorter trips, we find that 9 days minimizes the interruptions of weather and other issues, insuring the possibility of some time with the dolphins on each trip, since they are free-ranging animals.

Vessel Stenella is an open-ocean catamaran, ideal for anchoring in these shallow waters. She is a comfortable vessel, with an open living and dining area, two shared quarters, four bathrooms, and plenty of fresh and healthy food. Onboard we live family style, where everyone interacts and helps on a daily basis. Fresh water is made from the ocean using a reverse osmosis water maker. We recycle and try to minimize our impact on the ocean during our field season.

Our vessel houses archival materials for you to review, including our ID catalogs of dolphin families, and multiple documentaries by BBC, Nature, and others that cover our work in the media.

We are looking forward to continuing our work studying and observing Atlantic spotted and Bottlenose dolphins this summer which is our 40th consecutive year in the field!

Updated: February 9, 2024

TRIP DATES STATUS
Trip #1 May unavailable
Trip #2 May unavailable
Trip #3 June 4 - June 12 Closed (private charter)
Trip #4 June 18 - June 26 3 spots open
Trip #5 July 2 - July 10 1 spot open
Trip #6 July 16 - July 24 Closed (private charter)
Trip #7 July 30 - August 7 5 spots open
Trip #8 August 13 - August 21 (on hold)

The trip price is $3,750 includes everything needed for 9-days at sea. We require 50% deposit to reserve your spot. The balance (payment in full) is due within 60 days to fully secure your booking. The sign-up instructions provide more details. For more information contact Melissa, the trip coordinator 561-575-5660 wdptrips@wilddolphinproject.org.

*Are you a student? Internship information can be found here.

To sign upt, email your contact information to our trip coordinator at wdptrips@wilddolphinproject.org

Email the following information to our trip coordinator at wdptrips@wilddolphinproject.org. You may also call our office with any questions 561-575-5660.

PLEASE EMAIL THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

  • Full Name (as it is shown on your passport)
  • Traveling from (State, Country)
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Preferred trip number (or trip dates) or if you would like to be placed on a waiting list for a trip that is currently full

SIGN UP:

Email your contact information (as listed above) and preferred trip number/dates to wdptrips@wilddolphinproject.org. Our trip coordinator will confirm availability for your preferred trip and reply with a short application and provide methods of payment. A 50% deposit is required to reserve your spot and the balance must be paid within 30 days. Credit cards, check, and Paypal are all accepted.

Your completed application and payment in full are needed to fully secure your spot on the trip. Trip details such as packing guidelines and marina instructions will then be provided.

Blogs are available here. Thank you for your interest in joining our research trips!

2024 Field Season Cancellation Policy is available here.

See our FAQ for more information

 

 

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