Swimming with dolphins in Punta Cana (2026): programs, prices and rules compared

Short answers: programs and prices (read 4 November 2026)

Each park sells three levels: an entry program for non-swimmers and small children, a standard swim, and a premium swim with a foot push and dorsal tow. The table lines them up. 'Regular' is the price on the program page; 'online' is the discounted price the same site shows for booking on the web.

Dolphin Explorer (Cabeza de Toro)

Dolphin Explorer is on Cabeza de Toro Street in Punta Cana and runs its programs daily at 9:30 am, 11:30 am and 2:45 pm (Explorer program). Funtastic is the family option: 40 minutes in the water with one dolphin for up to 20 people, a 'pec shake' and a dolphin kiss, open to any swimming level from age 1, and allowed up to six months of pregnancy (Funtastic).

Explorer adds 50 minutes with one dolphin for up to 12 people, including the belly ride and the dolphin jumping over you; both children and adults must be able to swim (Explorer). Royal Excellence is 60 minutes with two dolphins for up to 10 people, with the foot push and a dorsal ride (Royal Excellence). Pregnant guests cannot do Explorer or Royal Excellence. Anyone in your group who doesn't want to swim can buy General Admission (aviary and a sea-lion kiss) for US$35, or US$25 for children; it does not include any time with the dolphins, and the page says hotel pickup is available from Punta Cana-area resorts (General Admission).

Punta Cana · Photo: Leonardo Rossatti / Pexels

Dolphin Island Park (off Bávaro)

Dolphin Island Park is a floating platform about half a mile off the coast, reached by boat from its private beach after a bus pickup at your hotel (FAQ). Its home page lists the Dolphin Royal Swim at US$195 for 50 minutes, the Dolphin Action Program at US$155 for 40 minutes and the Dolphin Experience at US$120 (Dolphin Island Park); the booking pages show them from US$175.50, US$139.50 and US$108. The Royal Swim page adds a free five-minute swim among sharks and rays on the platform (Royal Swim).

Minimum heights are 90 cm for the Experience, 110 cm for the Action Program and 120 cm for the Royal Swim, and an adult must swim with any child under 120 cm. Pregnant women cannot take part in any program, cameras are not allowed in the swim area, and the park's photographers sell photos afterwards (FAQ, Action Program). Transport is free from Bávaro and Punta Cana hotels; Cap Cana and Bayahibe pay a supplement, Cabeza de Toro pickups run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and Uvero Alto pickups on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (Dolphin Experience). More detail is on our Dolphin Island Park listing.

Which one fits your group

With toddlers or non-swimmers, Dolphin Explorer's Funtastic is the most open: from age 1, any swimming level, and children under 1 m go free with a paying adult (Funtastic). Dolphin Island's Experience needs no swimming either but starts at 90 cm (Dolphin Experience). For confident swimmers, the Explorer program gives 50 minutes for US$155 against 40 minutes for the same price on Dolphin Island's Action Program. For the two-dolphin foot push, Royal Excellence (60 minutes, US$199) and Royal Swim (50 minutes, US$195) are close; the open-sea platform, plus the shark-and-ray swim on the Royal Swim, is what sets Dolphin Island apart.

Our arithmetic for a family of two adults and two children aged 4–12 who can all swim, at regular prices: Dolphin Explorer's Explorer program costs 2 × US$155 + 2 × US$120 = US$550. Check whether your hotel is on the free pickup list before comparing, because the transport supplement can change the total.

Animal-welfare standards: what each park says

If animal welfare matters to your decision, here is what we could verify. Dolphin Island Park says it complies with the guidelines of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) (FAQ). On 4 November 2026, AMMPA's own member directory listed one Dominican facility, Ocean World Adventure Park & Marina in Puerto Plata (AMMPA members). Ocean World also lists American Humane certification and IMATA accreditation on its home page (Ocean World). Ask any park about its accreditation and how many sessions each dolphin does a day before you book.

On the north coast: Ocean World, Puerto Plata

If you are staying in Puerto Plata, Sosúa or Cabarete, or arriving by cruise ship at Taíno Bay or Amber Cove, Ocean World in Cofresí is the nearby option. Its ticket page lists the shallow-water Dolphin Encounter from US$129 and the deep-water Dolphin Swim from US$189, and Dominican residents get their own versions from US$59.30 and US$69.48 with ID (Ocean World tickets). The park says it has been open since 2004 (Ocean World). See our Taíno Bay cruise excursions for timing from the ship.

Before you book

Dolphin Explorer asks you to arrive 30 minutes before your program, to use biodegradable sunscreen, and to call before booking if you have a health condition or physical disability (Explorer). Dolphin Island Park says all its activities must be booked in advance, ideally before your holiday starts (FAQ). If you want a day on the water with your own group instead, see our private catamaran prices or the best excursions from Punta Cana.