Underwater Photography Expedition
Bahamas

THIS TRIP IS AVAILABLE ON A PRIVATE CHARTER BASIS

…"We were playing with a pod of eight dolphins for almost two hours one morning. As we hung in the water, one youngster rose slowly toward us with something brownish-yellow draped around its beak. Leaving this clump of seaweed floating near the surface, the dolphin rested only ten feet away, nodding its head up and down, clicking its teeth, and ‘talking’ to us via the high-pitched sound it was making through its blowhole."

"Putting my hand over the seaweed, I pushed it downward and watched as it sank. The young dolphin followed its progress as intently as the human observers. Just before the clump touched bottom, the dolphin shot from its position to catch the seaweed with its beak and brought it back to the surface.

We repeated the game three times that morning and would have done so all day, but the dolphin grew bored with the diversion and swam off to engage itself elsewhere, leaving behind a group of enchanted and well-trained humans…"

For more than three generations, one large group of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins has chosen to interact with visiting humans. The key word here is "chosen", for these dolphin encounters are initiated by and elaborated upon by the dolphins themselves. These are not penned, or hand-raised, or returned-to-nature animals, but a truly free-roaming, free-ranging pod that has decided to linger above the shallow, sandy bank north of Grand Bahamas Island specifically to interact with their bipedal mammalian cousins. It is an experience not to be missed and, because of its proximity to the U.S. and the warmth and congeniality of the waters, one that is safe for experienced divers, non-divers, and even children alike.

Unlike other large groups that seek the same environment, we limit our group to only six guests, thus ensuring that the dolphins are not spooked by vast numbers of divers. As you swim with the school, you will learn to identify different individuals. Sometimes, special attachments are established—what we humans would call personal relationships. It is a singular characteristic of this school that, contrary to encounters elsewhere, they actually appear to enjoy such activity. Rather than frightening them away, noise and movement in the water encourages them to come in close and see what’s happening. It seems that they are as curious about our behavior as we are about theirs.

While snorkeling is our preferred method of contact, we have been experimenting during extended encounters with the use of pony bottle tanks. While we are in the water, the dolphins stay with us anywhere from five minutes up to an hour, depending on their mood and how interested they find us. Frequently the divers tire and have to exit the water to recuperate before the dolphins leave. While the number of dolphins we encounter cannot be predicted, we have had pods of up to thirty individuals visit us 2-3 times in one day. Though interaction with the Atlantic dolphins is our primary aim, there are also occasional opportunities to spot and observe bottlenose dolphins, and to scuba dive a shallow (30 feet) wreck rich in marine life such as loggerhead turtles, barracuda, lobster, octopus, schools of jacks, grunts, and more.

Predators, Mammals, and Us offers you a chance to encounter the most intelligent of undersea life, in a setting and manner that allows them to control the pace and style of the interaction, without having to travel far from home. A not-to-be-forgotten experience.

Ready to join us on our next trip?
We recommend early reservation to avoid disappointment since space is limited and interest is high.

If you know someone who'd be interested in this trip, you can e-mail this link to them.

All photographs by Amos Nachoum. Copyright © 2002. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.