The shallow banks west of Bimini are home to a long-studied population of Atlantic spotted dolphins, and the area is one of the few places in the world where snorkelers can reliably meet them in open water. Boats run out for half-day trips from Alice Town to the dolphin grounds, usually in the afternoon when the pods are most active.
The dolphins come and go on their own terms — there is no feeding, no chasing, and many trips end without contact. When the encounter does happen it is on the dolphins' initiative: they ride the bow wave, circle the snorkellers, and sometimes stay for half an hour at a time. Several local operators have run these trips since the 1990s under voluntary low-impact protocols.