Swim with Dolphins in Curacao | A Fun Family activity at the Curacao Sea Aquarium

Expectations at the Dolphin Academy

Each time we’ve booked the “Dolphin Swim” experience, the trainers have organized groups of 6 into smaller groups of 2. Every 2 people get 1 dolphin to swim beside and interact with.

If you’re booking for your child, you have to be confident in your childs ability to swim in the water around the Dolphins, be able to listen to expert direction, and also act responsibly with these beautiful creatures. The academy will provide life jackets if you’re unsure.

As parents, we were able to watch the entire thing from seating above, a perfect place for great photos. Grandparents are welcome too! Everything is on even ground, or has ramps where necessary for those looking for accessibility assistance. The only area that likely isn’t going to be accessible for a wheelchair would be the submarine and Ocean Lens.

The academy takes beautiful professional photos, and they are available for purchase after your swim. I’ve never purchased the digital version, only the printed pictures for around $20US.

Start to finish including the pre-swim presentation, it takes about 1.5 hours. 20 minutes for the presentation, 20 minutes to get gear on, and 30 minutes is spent in the water with the dolphins for the package we purchased – “Dolphin Swim”. Then you might spend 10-20 minutes getting dry and dressed or waiting for your photos.

**Any dolphin package you book includes free admission to the main aquarium building. If you’re not swimming with the dolphins, you’ll have to book separate entry tickets.

If you’re not a super confident swimmer, the ‘Dolphin Encounter’ would be a perfect fit. You stand in waist deep water while learning and watching the dolphins swim around you.

Have your dive certification? Try the ‘Open Water’ dolphin dive! They take you out into the open ocean in a group of 2 people to scuba with these graceful mammals.

Ocean Lens – Peek Into the Deep

Once you’ve finished swimming with the Dolphins, take the chance to check out “The Ocean Lens”. The Ocean Lens is a small pod 17 feet down into the open water that allows you lay on your stomach and gaze through a huge window and watch the fish feed.

We chose to add this activity onto our aquarium entry tickets during our visit. This is a perfect activity for people who can’t or don’t wish to snorkel in the open ocean. This activity also gives you a guide, who provides an explanation of some behind the scenes stuff at the aquarium, along with an explanation of how the open ocean system works.

The climb down into the pod is quite steep – it is 19 steps down, and there is a maximum of 4 people allowed inside the small space. It felt cozy and unique. We LOVED it.

The Aquarium

• Exploring

There are plenty of unique marine creatures and fish to see and touch inside the main building of the aquarium. I would plan at least 45 minutes – 1 hour to explore inside this area. Outside you may notice a large submarine located half in the water, and half out. If you go inside and down a few steps, you’ll find loads of seating available to watch the giant fish, sharks and stingrays swim by. It is so peaceful inside – do not miss this! You’ll spend maybe 20 minutes inside of the submarine.

• Activities

There are so many activities to do at the aquarium and there is a daily schedule posted on their website and at the aquarium itself. On it are things like: Lobster Feeding, Stingray Facts and Feeding, Flamingo Feeding, and multiple Dolphin Training demonstrations throughout the day. You’ll also find aquariums with the local fish and marine life living in them. If you want to see Flamingos in wild, check out my post on the Where to see Flamingos in Curacao.

All of these aquariums are connected to the ocean water system. We found out that sometimes sneaky octopi will creep through the open water tunnels to get into the aquariums to feed on the fish there!! If you plan to stay and watch a dolphin show, pack loads of sunscreen, water and a hat because it is VERY hot outside exposed directly to the sun.

• Food & Gift Shop

There is also a casual restaurant that is very reasonably priced, with lots of seating options near the Flamingos. Perfect for a quick bite to eat on the go. Think hot dogs and sandwiches as options.

Also inside the main building is a fun gift shop. This is also the location to pick up your professional Dolphin Swim photos.

Substation Curacao

On the topic of submarines; you can also book an ocean dive in the Substation Curacao. From here you can dive into the open ocean in a small tourist-certified submersible where you can view shipwrecks, coral reefs and colorful fish. This sub makes two dives per day, and goes down further than you could if you were scuba diving. It has a max capacity of 2 persons at $450USD.

I am undecided on whether I’d like to do this with the family next time or not. We are not scuba certified yet, but would like to explore that option in the future. This substation experience seems like an excellent opportunity to really get a good look at the ocean floor, amazing fish species and have a true appreciation for the coral reefs in the area.

Then again I think about the OceanGate sub and the tragedy surrounding that small submersible, and wonder if we’re supposed to go all the way under water like that. What do you think?

Parking

I recommend driving or taking a taxi to this location; it is easy to find on google or apple maps. It’s hard not to love this place! From seeing the Conch nursery and pink flamingos to the knowledgeable staff always being so engaging, it is a great day out in Curacao!

*Just a note that the parking lot is actually quite far away from the Aquarium entrance – you’ll find it in front of the Dolphin Suites and Wellness hotel across the street. It is paid parking – 3 ANG. There is a parking attendant to help you navigate.

Once out of your car, you walk towards the little ticket booth and pass it, you’ll cross a bridge where you’ll notice big beautiful boats and then you’ll see the front entrance of the aquarium quite easily after that.

Conclusion

I’m sure every time we visit this great little aquarium in Curacao that I’ll have something to add to the blog; we always seem to learn something new! Our favorite activity is of course swimming with the majestic dolphins. Overall, it is a great activity to do in Curacao and a wonderful way to spend a few hours. You really get the sense that the people who work there love their jobs!

The entrance fee is around $15USD, which we believe to be a great value. Enjoy yourself! Don’t forget to pack lots of water and sunscreen if you wish to watch the dolphins outside.

Internet and Mobile phone access in Curacao

I recommend downloading the airalo App (Great for European destinations as well) and connecting ‘Dushi Mobile’. Dushi Mobile works on the Digicel Network in Curacao and has LTE service. Some of the further beaches in the West do not get great reception on the Digicel Network but great coverage in Willemstad. For more information click my affiliate link below. (It doesn’t cost you any more money, but sends a little my way for the shout out).

Nearby Hotels

• Lions Dive
• Royal Sea Aquarium Resort
• Floral Dreams
• Dolphin Suites and Wellness Resort

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