Dolphin Island Park offers structured encounters with bottlenose dolphins in a lagoon environment on the Bávaro coast. The key difference from many dolphin programs is that this one operates in open water rather than a pool — the dolphins are contained by a lagoon rather than concrete walls, and the swims take place in natural seawater.
Programs range from shallow-water meets to full swim-with encounters, with price varying accordingly. Snorkelling is included in most packages so you can watch the dolphins underwater as well as from the surface. The encounter is managed and timed, with groups kept small enough to be manageable — book in advance in high season. The facility is professional and the dolphins appear in reasonable condition by the standards of the industry; those who object to captive dolphin programs on principle should skip it and book a whale-watching trip to Samaná instead.