Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana
Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana
Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana
4.5
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Full view
About
Punta Cana, a tourist paradise in the Dominican Republic, is known for its white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. Besides enjoying its beauty, at Dolphin Discovery Downtown, you can interact and swim with dolphins in Punta Cana in an environment that promotes animal care. Plan your trip and enjoy this unique experience while learning about conservation!
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Does not meet animal welfare
guidelines
Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.
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Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
4,424 reviews
Excellent
3,051
Very good
668
Average
307
Poor
181
Terrible
217
jerab19
4 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
INCREDIBLE Experience that we will forever remember, but their photograph pricing is atrociously overpriced. Spending the $300US was worth every penny. As an adult, I highly enjoyed swimming with the dolphins, playing with the dolphins, and being kissed by the dolphins. I loved watching my children’s expressions and nonstop laughter (ages 7 & 8). I only wish I had a picture for them to always remember and cherish. They wanted $80US for ONE printed picture of each of my kids. They wanted $180US for a digital file. I paid $100/person to swim with them, why would I pay almost double for pictures. Every family in our group walked away not paying for any, whereas they would have made money if they charged less. You also cannot bring your camera with you and take your own pictures. In the end, I LOVED this excursion and still highly recommend despite the prices of their photographs.
Written 13 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Traveler
We greatly appreciate your visit at Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana and especially for leaving us your comments.
We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in the future very soon.
Best regards.
Written 25 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tray H.
Conyers, GA11 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
There are different packages. We booked our package at the resort’s tour desk (Breathless Resort-Punta Cana with Jose). The price was actually cheaper than online (surprisingly). We did the Royal Swim which is their most expensive and longest time in the water (1 hour, 2 dolphins and 10 ppl) Jose (the rep who booked the excursion) recommended that we go to the early morning trip (8am) and I’m so happy we did because we ended up only have 4 ppl total in the water which allowed us more personal time with the Dolphins and we were finished around 11:30 to enjoy the rest of our day. We had so much fun. The water is clean yet salty. You can not take your own pictures but you should definitely purchase the pictures package beforehand. We paid $170 for all pictures on a CD and you can instantly download them to your phone, 2 free gifts (I got a bag and a swimsuit cover) and $10 for lunch. The hamburger was good.
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Traveler
We appreciate your visit at Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana and especially for taking the time to tell us about your experience with us.
We are pleased to know that it was a beautiful, different experience and that it met your expectations especially that our services were of excellent quality and that the photos were wonderful.
The opinion of our guests is very important for us.
We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in the future very soon.
Best regards.
Written 17 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tracybug
Orillia, Canada209 contributions
Dec 2019
This was our first experience with swimming with the dolphins - family trip with kids 6 &9. We purchased in flight via Sunwing and got kids free which made this affordable.
We had a great time!! My 6 year old was scared at first but that soon vanished. Our group had approx 8 people in it and we all got lots of time with the 2 dolphins and their trainer. Pool seemed clean and the grounds were well kept.
Where this loses a star is the cost of the pictures!!! They are insane - $40 US for one pic! Because this was our first time I really wanted one with each of the kids and eventually cracked and negotiated to pay $100 US for all the pics with the kids in them (about 30 total). That being said, the pictures are amazing and excellent quality so glad to have them but it sure is a downer to your experience.
They schedule the buses so that you have to wait about 1hr after your experience in hopes you will eat lunch / buy stuff. They also have a great water park and pool to use (included) which the kids enjoyed.
We had a great time!! My 6 year old was scared at first but that soon vanished. Our group had approx 8 people in it and we all got lots of time with the 2 dolphins and their trainer. Pool seemed clean and the grounds were well kept.
Where this loses a star is the cost of the pictures!!! They are insane - $40 US for one pic! Because this was our first time I really wanted one with each of the kids and eventually cracked and negotiated to pay $100 US for all the pics with the kids in them (about 30 total). That being said, the pictures are amazing and excellent quality so glad to have them but it sure is a downer to your experience.
They schedule the buses so that you have to wait about 1hr after your experience in hopes you will eat lunch / buy stuff. They also have a great water park and pool to use (included) which the kids enjoyed.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear traveler,
We appreciate your visit to Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana and especially for having the time to tell us about your experience. We are pleased to know that swimming with dolphins and interacting with them has been an incredible experience and that the service met your expectations.
Your comments about our prices are well received and taken into account since listening to our guests always helps us to improve, however, it is necessary to mention that these prices are based on the local market, also for security measures it is not allows any electrical device in the area of interaction with the marine life that we preserve.
We recommend that for your next view you buy the memories package is a package that includes all the photos and is exclusively for sale online.
We hope that in the near future we will have the pleasure of serving you again.
Best regards!
Written 16 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mobile222823
2 contributions
Jan 2020
So I'm sorry but the first thing I have to say is that they charge RIDICULOUS PRICES FOR PHOTOS. I was pissed when I arrived because they don't allow you to bring your phone and then expect you to pay $40 for ONE cheapy photo. I was going to just go without any photos but I don't want to regret not having any photos from the experience years from now. I would advise either trying to negotiate a better price while at the venue or getting a card with info from your trip and waiting to buy online. Online the prices are slightly better than in shop, $35 for one or $50 for three. Although, if you get them online they are just sent to you digitally to download, whereas in shop they print it for you on glossy paper.
I did the "Swim Adventure". I would definitely say this is a one time experience. It was cool to be able to see the dolphins and interact with them, but i would never do it again. The reason for this is because the interaction with the dolphins was fairly minimal; I was expecting to be able to do a bit more with them. When you take into account the time waiting in the pool, waiting for others to have their turn, etc, the true interaction time with the dolphins was probably about 5 minutes. I also noticed a lot of scratches on the backs of the dolphin! :( I don't know how those got there but I made me wonder if they are treated well :(
On the plus side some of the staff were nice and cool to talk to. But overall just simply unethical prices for photos.
I did the "Swim Adventure". I would definitely say this is a one time experience. It was cool to be able to see the dolphins and interact with them, but i would never do it again. The reason for this is because the interaction with the dolphins was fairly minimal; I was expecting to be able to do a bit more with them. When you take into account the time waiting in the pool, waiting for others to have their turn, etc, the true interaction time with the dolphins was probably about 5 minutes. I also noticed a lot of scratches on the backs of the dolphin! :( I don't know how those got there but I made me wonder if they are treated well :(
On the plus side some of the staff were nice and cool to talk to. But overall just simply unethical prices for photos.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Traveler
We greatly appreciate your view at Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana and especially for taking the time to tell us about our services.
We are very sorry that your experience was not what you expected.
Your comments about our prices are well received and taken into account since listening to our guests always helps us to improve, however, it is necessary to mention that these prices are based on the local market, also for security measures it is not allows any electrical device in the area of interaction with the marine life that we preserve.
We recommend that for your next view you buy the memories package is a package that includes all the photos and is exclusively for sale online.
We hope that in the near future we will have the pleasure of serving you.
Best regards.
Written 10 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Eric
2 contributions
July 2021
I gave this two stars because my young kids still enjoyed being in the proximity of dolphins, but I would not recommend Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana to ANYONE. Knowing that these places are tourist traps with overpriced photo packages and a big gift shop I was still sorely disappointed.
I should also preface that I have been to another dolphin experience (Delphinus Punta Cancun) and had a great time learning about dolphins, interacting with them, and having our pictures taken.
At Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana, the four of us did the Dolphin Swim Adventure (a 50 minute experience according to the website) and spent 36 minutes in or near the pool deck. The 13 people in our group (10 person maximum according to website) did go through all of the skills listed in the program, but the entire focus was photo opportunities and there was not a single second spent just enjoying being in the presence of the dolphin. We actually got scolded several times for looking at the dolphin instead of the camera (!!!?).
This experience was not isolated to our group...next to us a group of 12 did the Royal Swim package and spent the same amount of time in the water.
Typical to the Dominican Republic we were also told by staff that we should tip our trainer if we enjoyed the experience...as if the $400 we paid for the 36 minutes of time in the water wasn't sufficient. (plus $200 for a photo package).
I should also preface that I have been to another dolphin experience (Delphinus Punta Cancun) and had a great time learning about dolphins, interacting with them, and having our pictures taken.
At Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana, the four of us did the Dolphin Swim Adventure (a 50 minute experience according to the website) and spent 36 minutes in or near the pool deck. The 13 people in our group (10 person maximum according to website) did go through all of the skills listed in the program, but the entire focus was photo opportunities and there was not a single second spent just enjoying being in the presence of the dolphin. We actually got scolded several times for looking at the dolphin instead of the camera (!!!?).
This experience was not isolated to our group...next to us a group of 12 did the Royal Swim package and spent the same amount of time in the water.
Typical to the Dominican Republic we were also told by staff that we should tip our trainer if we enjoyed the experience...as if the $400 we paid for the 36 minutes of time in the water wasn't sufficient. (plus $200 for a photo package).
Written 5 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alena H
1 contribution
Jan 2020 • Family
The pool is very dirty and small, toilets are also very dirty, showers has no warm water. Pool is very small for this amount of dolphins. It seems like the whole experience to take a picture and then sell it to you for a very expensive price! Dolphins looks unhealthy and sad. Stuff are very unfriendly. Don't waste your money For the 50 minutes of experience you will get only a 4 minutes to contact with the animal. Rest of the time you're going to watch how they are taking pictures of another person. At the end I was shocked with the price on the photos . For 5 digital photos they wanted 120$!!!!
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Traveler
We greatly appreciate your view at Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana and especially for taking the time to tell us about our services.
We are very sorry that your experience was not what you expected.
Your comments about our prices are well received and taken into account since listening to our guests always helps us to improve, however, it is necessary to mention that these prices are based on the local market, also for security measures it is not allows any electrical device in the area of interaction with the marine life that we preserve.
We recommend that for your next view you buy the memories package is a package that includes all the photos and is exclusively for sale online.
We hope that in the near future we will have the pleasure of serving you again.
Best regards.
Written 16 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Carrie101
Tulsa, OK236 contributions
Mar 2020
I'm always a bit leery of animals in captivity, but I'm not going to get left out of an adventure, either. I was pleased to see happy, seemingly healthy dolphins that appeared to enjoy their "work". We got several cute pictures in different poses and got to take a boogie board ride (being pushed from our feet by the dolphins). It was a neat experience. I would NOT, however, couple this with the snorkel tour (which is what we did). I'm not sure if snorkeling in PC just stinks, or if we had the worst guides ever. Took an hour to load the gazillion people on the boat and had very sparse, boring snorkeling at best. No reef. No variety of fish.
Written 27 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dr M J
41 contributions
Mar 2020
So please note this isn't in the ocean or water. This is in an outdoor large pool. Pictures are not included in the basic plan. They'll still take pictures and you can purchase them afterwards , and it comes out to 40$ for one picture. So if you can find a different place go for it.
Otherwise: They're nice, they're fun, and they are passionate about what they do.
The lockers don't work since they "lost the keys" but you can still leave your stuff outside and it will remain safe.
Otherwise: They're nice, they're fun, and they are passionate about what they do.
The lockers don't work since they "lost the keys" but you can still leave your stuff outside and it will remain safe.
Written 17 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Traveler
We greatly appreciate your visit at Dolphin Discovery Punta Cana and especially for leaving us your comments.
We are sorry for all the inconvenience during your visit,
We will take your comments into account and send them to the corresponding area for us your opinion is very important
We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in the future very soon.
Best regards.
Written 25 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter G
Merrick, NY1 contribution
Feb 2022 • Family
Ripoff !
Don’t waste your time
First they charge $40 per picture, but if there are two people on the picture it goes to $80 per picture and so on …so… we have a 1 year old baby and 3 year old and obviously they can’t swim by themselves to take a picture so we had to pay $160 for 1 picture lol
Second - zero organization. Zero. No one is greeting you , no one is explaining to you anything, staff or rude.
Simply don’t waste time
Don’t waste your time
First they charge $40 per picture, but if there are two people on the picture it goes to $80 per picture and so on …so… we have a 1 year old baby and 3 year old and obviously they can’t swim by themselves to take a picture so we had to pay $160 for 1 picture lol
Second - zero organization. Zero. No one is greeting you , no one is explaining to you anything, staff or rude.
Simply don’t waste time
Written 16 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello E3524EVpeterg, thank you for your review and your visit. We are sorry to know that you had problems with the photography area, your comments will be taken into consideration to prevent these situations from happening again, we appreciate your comments as they will help us improve the experience of our visitors, we hope to see you soon.
Written 17 February 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CKL
27 contributions
Oct 2020
Very bad experience starting from the misleading advertised prices to amenities. The place was crowded despite the Covid pandemic, the pools are small and the slides are poorly maintained. The bathrooms were dirty, just like the dolphins' pool. It seems like they have cut the costs on cleaning.
But what bothered me most is the pricing scam. They have different prices for everything based on the language you speak. Although I am fluent in Spanish they always tried to overcharge me because I look like a tourist. I managed to get the correct prices only because I had on my phone an image of the advertised price list (menu and activities). It must be awful for tourist who don't speak Spanish. The only thing that they want is to reap you off.
But what bothered me most is the pricing scam. They have different prices for everything based on the language you speak. Although I am fluent in Spanish they always tried to overcharge me because I look like a tourist. I managed to get the correct prices only because I had on my phone an image of the advertised price list (menu and activities). It must be awful for tourist who don't speak Spanish. The only thing that they want is to reap you off.
Written 26 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour,
Ou peut-on séjourner pas trop loin du Dolphin Discovery ?
Merci
Written 24 October 2024
Is transportation included? Or can you add transportation for an additional cost? Do you need cash for the locker?
Written 5 March 2024
Hola! El 10 de Octubre fui en isla mujeres y me tomé fotos con delfines y las descargue, no sabía que se eliminaban.
Existe la posibilidad de que pueda recuperar las, porfavor.
Written 25 November 2023
Can someone give us an honest idea of the price of the photo packages, we are planning to come here in 4 weeks and would like to have knowledge of additional costs. Thanks
Written 23 July 2023
Me gustaría saber si hacen transporte desde hotel de ida y vuelta y que tal es?
Written 3 September 2022
Buen día, si realizamos reservaciones considerando la transportación, Gracias por escribirnos, para mayor información, reservaciones y demás favor de contactar al teléfono // WhatsApp 809 390 7413 en horario de 9 am a 5 pm
Written 5 September 2022
Estou perdida quanto ao pacote que devo adquirir. Somos 4 pessoas e queremos ver os golfinhos e nadar com eles. Alguém pode me atender?
31-999015113
Obrigada
Alessandra
Written 22 February 2021
Has anyone else had issues getting a refund? I keep getting told is will be a few days, then another few days, and so on. Wondering how I can get this resolved.
Written 13 April 2020
I think once everything is resolved and tourism there is back to normal then you have a chance
Written 15 April 2020
Do you provide transportation from the Royalton Bravaro resort?
Written 11 February 2020
È possibile acquistare on line i biglietti? Posso avere il link per consultare i pacchetti offerti? Grazie
Written 10 February 2020
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.