An Unexpected Morning with Dolphins
In late July, a crew of us from The Seabirds traveled to Tela, Honduras, where we partnered with Tela Coral on some amazing coral restoration work. After a full week of science dives and packed days, we headed to Utila for a little downtime, some fun diving, and a visit with our good friend and favorite scuba instructor and dive charter operator, Sabina, with Off the Dock Adventures.
Each morning in Utila, the dive boat would swing by to pick us up. On this particular morning, Sabina and the boat captain were already waiting for us with some very exciting news: they had seen dolphins on their way over! They asked if we wanted to make a stop to see them before heading to our first dive site.
When someone asks if you want to go see dolphins, you do not hesitate. “Absolutely yes!” we exclaimed.
Within minutes, we could see them.
Tiffany Duong/Ocean Rebels
There were SO MANY DOLPHINS.
Beautiful spinner dolphins, actively swimming and playing nearby, and even though we were all tired from the many amazing things we had been doing that week, every single one of us instantly perked up. There was joyful squealing, laughing, yelling. We were EXCITED.
Off the Dock Adventures was really thoughtful about how we approached them. The boat stayed back and gave the dolphins plenty of space, and we were told that if we wanted to, we could quietly slip into the water with our masks on and swim closer. There was zero hesitation.
The second I got into the water, I felt incredibly present. The water was warm and so clear, and I could hear the dolphins almost immediately. They were unbelievably chatty. Their clicks, whistles, and squeals carried through the water so clearly that it felt like they were having a whole conversation just out of sight.
Honestly, they sounded like they were having a great time, and I needed to go see what they were up to.
I started swimming toward the sound, and then suddenly they were everywhere.
They were spinning, splashing, zipping back and forth, and swimming all around us. They would move away and then come back again, seemingly completely comfortable doing their own thing with us nearby. That was one of the most special parts of the whole experience: they did not have to stay. They could have disappeared at any moment. But they let us stay there with them. We had briefly been allowed into their world.
I don’t think there was one individual dolphin that stood out to me as much as the feeling of the whole group did. Being surrounded by so many intelligent, social animals, hearing them communicate and watching them interact with each other so closely, was almost overwhelming in the best way.
Nearby, I could hear the muffled sound of the other women laughing underwater. When we popped up to the surface, the laughter continued on and on. We couldn’t believe how many dolphins we had just encountered, and how incredible their playful interactions were.
Tiffany Duong/Ocean Rebels
For what felt like the longest few minutes of my life, we just floated there in warm Caribbean water while dolphins spun and played around us. There was no agenda, no task to complete, no place we needed to be. Just pure joy, and a reminder that some of the most incredible experiences can’t be planned or manufactured. Sometimes they happen when we say yes, let go of the schedule, and make enough space to simply notice what is happening around us.
It was an encounter I will never forget.
Relevant Expedition Information:
- Date: 2026 Aug 2 - 5
- Name: Utila add-on
- Location: Utila, Honduras
- Partner(s): Off the Dock Adventures
- Vessel: Miss Issela II , run by Off the Dock Adventures
