Most people have one thing in mind when they have a day in Nassau, Bahamas – they want to spend a day at the Atlantis Resort. But on my recent Carnival Magic Cruise, we found a fantastic excursion that the whole family enjoyed.
Dolphin Encounters at Blue Lagoon Island allowed our family to try something new – we played in the water with dolphins. We spent an exhilarating half hour dancing, kissing, and hugging a gorgeous dolphin and it was the experience of a lifetime. And after our program, we had full access to all the beach toys and amenities for the rest of the day. It was the best excursion we could have hoped for in the Bahamas.
It’s a quick 20 min ferry ride to get to Blue Lagoon Island from Nassau. I enjoyed getting away from the busy city and spending the day on a secluded island. Blue Lagoon offers day passes for those looking for relaxing beach time. A Day pass includes the ferry ride out & back, lunch, access to hammocks, beach chairs, inflatable park, float mats, sand volleyball and more.
But what we came for were the dolphins. Dolphin Encounters is home to the Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin. Ranging in age, these dolphins are energetic and friendly. Dolphin Encounters offers 2 types of experiences: The Dolphin Swim gives you one-on-one time with a dolphin, including a hug, a kiss, and a foot push! The Dolphin Encounter is one-on-one time with the dolphin in waist-high water, and includes that hug, kiss, and a bit of dancing!
Our family participated in the Dolphin Encounter experience. We started with a brief orientation and great lesson on how we are similar to dolphins. We were then moved down to play with the dolphins. In groups of 5-10, we got in the water and a trainer allowed us to meet, touch and play with a dolphin.
We were amazed at how soft and graceful the dolphins were. They responded to cues from their trainers to leap out of the water, splash us with water, and make verbal sounds. It was entertaining and educational and our time went by way too quickly.
I had my phone to take video (with a lifeproof case) but because you are in the water the whole time, Dolphin Encounters records your experience for you – both video and photo. And they do a great job!
And the fun wasn’t over! As we were on the Blue Lagoon Island for the day, we had the island to play on for a few hours before heading back to Nassau. The island was a real treat. There was almost too much to do with the inflatable water play area, water bikes, games, parasailing, shelling, and more. It was a great opportunity for the children to play on the beach while we sat in a hammock and relaxed.
Blue Lagoon Island has a great outdoor restaurant and bar for lunch and drinks. But what was the hidden gem of the entire island? The backside. Take a walk behind the restaurant and look at this view:
There are several options to Blue Lagoon Island, so if you are not interested in spending time with the dolphins, you can go out and play for the day too.
It was the perfect excursion for our time in Nassau. I was happy to get away from the city and relax on the beautiful Bahama beaches. For more information, pricing, & reservations, click here.
Disclosure: My family & I were invited to experience Blue Lagoon Island and the Dolphin Encounter. I was not paid to write this post. All opinions are my own.
We are going to the Bahamas soon! Great pictures! Thanks!