Swimming With Wild Dolphins In The Caribbean

One of the best decisions my family and I made during our week-long trip to Turks & Caicos was to charter a boat and tour the islands with ease. Cruising the dazzling azure Caribbean waters felt like living inside a postcard image. There is certainly no shortage of picturesque islands and pristine white sand beaches within the strikingly gorgeous British overseas territory, Turks & Caicos. I’ll break down what makes chartering a boat a must-do activity during your visit and give you all the details you need to make planning your trip smooth and easy. We’ll start with the biggest highlight of the day and probably the entire trip, swimming with wild dolphins! 

Yep, you read that right. I went swimming with wild dolphins, and it was amazing. A small group of friendly local dolphins will swim right up to your boat if you’re lucky. These dolphins are a big deal in Turks and Caicos. Some of them even have their own Instagram page. Thankfully, our captain, Josh, knew precisely where to find them, too.

The first few hours of the charter were spent relaxing and taking in the exquisite Caribbean scenery. As we cruised along the water, I was sipping a cold local lager when the boat suddenly came to an unexpected halt. I had no way of knowing at the time, but apparently, this place was a favorite hangout for a local family of dolphins. Almost immediately, as if on cue, a young dolphin and her mother swam up to check us out. 

Captain Josh said, “I know these dolphins. You can jump in, no problem. If you’ve got good vibes, they will swim with you.”

A jolt of excitement rushed through my body. I had to do it. Without giving it a second thought I was sprung from my seat at the front of the boat and shed my shirt, glasses, and hat as quickly as I could.

Swimming With The Dolphins

I couldn’t believe it. Was I really about to swim with wild dolphins?! I immediately climbed over the railing and eased my way into the water, trying to get my vibes as right as possible. Within a minute of being in the water, the mother dolphin snuck up behind me for a closer inspection. She had come from under the boat and popped up directly in front of me, no more than two feet from my face. Startled, I flinched as my heart nearly leaped from my chest. I laughed it off, slowed my breathing, and waited anxiously to see what would happen next.

I must have passed the good-vibes test, as the young 3-year-old dolphin, named Dreamer, swam up to introduce herself. Dreamer, the three-year-old daughter of a local celebrity dolphin named JoJo, has also become a celebrity in her own right. I spent the next ten minutes or so in disbelief. She stayed by my side, giving playful tail slaps and insisting I give her all the belly-rubs she wanted. At one point, she even took my arm gently in her mouth, and we dove and swam under the water for as long as I could hold my breath. She was clicking and chatting away the entire time!

*In 1989, the Turks and Caicos government officially declared JoJo a national treasure! Learn more about JoJo’s incredible story.

Eventually, nearby boats noticed something special was going on, and they all came over to get in on the action. Sensing the increase in crowd size, Dreamer and her mother swam away, leaving me grinning from ear to ear. It was a truly unforgettable experience, and I can’t thank Captain Josh enough for making it all happen. 

*Note: Interactions like this are not typical of dolphin behavior. This is a unique situation. If you get the chance to swim with wild dolphins, stay calm and respectful towards the animals. Let them be the ones to approach you and handle them gently.

The Charter Experience

Captain Josh and everyone we dealt with at Okeanos Charters are amazing people. I can’t recommend them enough and want to share a little bit about our day and why we chose to use them. 

After some research, our decision was easy. Okeanos Charters has excellent reviews and is reasonably priced. Their boat was big enough to hold all ten of us and fast enough to get us to all of the best spots around the islands. 

We were all really pleased with how friendly and flexible everyone on the charter was. They offer boat charters of 4, 6, or 8 hours in duration and are fully customizable. Once you’re on board, they will basically do anything it is you want them to. So, whether you are looking for watersports, snorkeling, island hopping, swimming with wild dolphins, or a combination of all of the above, the good people at Okeanos are more than happy to accommodate.  

When the charter began, we told our captain we definitely wanted to see a nearby shipwreck, Iguana Island, and snorkel the barrier reef. Other than that, we figured he knew the area far better than we did. We asked him to show us some of his favorite spots while we kicked back and enjoyed the ride. With a warm smile, he agreed without hesitation. 

Captain Josh could not have been any friendlier. He is a native Turks Islander and very knowledgeable about the area. After growing up on the water, Josh had the opportunity to spend some years living abroad and actually lived and went to school near my hometown of Atlanta. What a small world! Even though he was exceptionally personable and easy to get along with, it was cool to have that connection and get his outsider’s perspective on the place I call home.

Highlights From The Day

We arrived at the marina with towels, sunscreen, and a camera. The rest was taken care of. Captain Josh and his deckhand Thomas stocked the boat with water, soft drinks, beer, wine, liquor, and even provided and prepared our lunch.

The best part of the day was, without a doubt, swimming with wild dolphins. However, even without such an incredible encounter, the day would still have been a memorable one. Highlights included visiting the previously mentioned Iguana Island and a rusted-out shipwreck. (You can climb on board and jump from the ship if you’re feeling brave!) Afterward, we visited several uninhabited islands with the most insanely gorgeous beaches I have ever seen! 

The one thing that you absolutely can’t pass on, though, is visiting the barrier reef. Turks and Caicos is home to the third-largest barrier reef in the world. (Behind Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef) The reef is simply stunning and teeming with fish and corals to marvel at. Snorkeling or diving here is a must-do during your visit to the islands. Okeanos provided fins, masks, snorkels, and life jackets for anyone that didn’t bring their own.

The entire day was an unforgettable experience for my family and me. Having such a surreal interaction with wild bottlenose dolphins was the cherry on top of a perfect day in Turks and Caicos. Captain Josh and the whole team at Okeanos Charters could not have treated us any better. They went above and beyond to make sure our charter was everything we could have asked for and more. If you’re planning a visit to Turks and Caicos, be sure to look them up. I promise you won’t regret it!