Swimming with Dolphins in California
California's Central Coast is home to a variety of marine life
including several types of dolphins.
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), a Federally
protected marine area offshore of California's central coast,
supports one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems. It
is home to numerous mammals, including whales and dolphins.
Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the MBNMS encompasses a
shoreline length of 276 miles and 5,322 square miles of ocean.
Warm water conditions in the Monterey Bay have attracted several
species here from warm water areas, including the Long-Beaked
and Short-Beaked Common Dolphins, normally seen from the Channel
Islands south to Baja California.
These Common Dolphins congregate at the edge of the Monterey
Submarine Canyon, where sardines, mackerel, and squid seem to be
their primary attraction. Other dolphins and porpoises in the
Monterey Bay include the Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Rissos
Dolphin, the Northern Right Whale Dolphin, the Bottlenose
Dolphin, Dalls Porpoise, and the Harbor Porpoise.
The US government has prohibited swims with the dolphin
activities in the marine sanctuary. There is only one swim with
the dolphin activity center in California and that too in a
private enclosure of a theme park owned by the Six Flags Marine
World in collaboration with Ocean Discovery.
The new Caribbean-themed destination is the only place in
Northern California where guests can personally interact with
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, southern stingrays and
warm-weathered penguins.
The 2-acre area provides guests the opportunity to interact with
and feed some of the world's natural wonders while learning
about the animals and the importance of natural habitat
conservation and protection.
Ocean Discovery provides interactive experiences with Atlantic
bottlenose dolphins inside a custom designed 200,000-gallon pool
where guests can have direct contact with the animals and their
trainers. During designated times guests can touch and feed the
dolphins with the assistance of the Park's veteran trainers.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy the dolphins from an underwater
viewing area.
Six Flags Marine World is located in Vallejo, California, off of
Interstate 80, just 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, 50
miles southwest of Sacramento and near the Napa Valley Wine
Country.