Swim With These Stunning Animals In Jamaica

Having a close encounter with wild animals is a common feature on a traveller’s bucket list. There’s really nothing more extraordinary than swimming with tropical animals. From thoroughbred horses to dolphins, you can find some of the most enchanting animals in Jamaica’s blue sea. Here’s our list of animals that you must seek the chance to swim with when visiting Jamaica.

Dolphins

Dolphin Cove is the most popular marine attraction in Jamaica, offering guests the chance to feed, swim and interact with dolphins. The cove’s dolphins have garnered a reputation for being extremely friendly and charming. They are trained to perform a number of tricks, such as back-flips, giving people rides on their backs, giving out kisses and much more.

Horses

There are a few resorts in Jamaica that have trained their horses to swim. Guests are offered bareback rides in the majestic Caribbean Sea on well-trained, thoroughbred horses. The horse rides are completely safe, so it’s an amazing adventure that the entire family can enjoy.

Coral Reef

Jamaica is known for its beautiful beaches and marine life that snorkellers and scuba-divers flock to. The island is surrounded by a coral reef, which meanders quite near the island, in some spots about 20 minutes offshore. Most of the island’s coral reefs are a little further and typically require a boat to get there. Luckily, many resorts in Jamaica offer snorkeling adventures to their guests, but professional captains and boats are also available for rent.

Stingrays

Stingray City Jamaica is located 25 minutes east of Ocho Rios, in a beautiful, private peninsula. Upon arrival, guests are given a brief orientation and safety briefing to demonstrate the correct way to handle a stingray. You can then dive into the clear Caribbean waters to feed and pet them. Equipped with complimentary snorkels and masks, you can easily view these magnificent and graceful marine creatures.

Starfish

In many coral reefs and marine attractions in Jamaica, you will typically find starfish. They also tend to sometimes wash up on the shores of public beaches. Starfish are one of the most unique and popular marine creatures – they have no brain or blood (instead they use filtered seawater) and they have the ability to regenerate limbs.

Sea turtles

Over the last few years, Jamaicans have been on a mission to protect and preserve the lives of sea turtles. Turtles have actually existed for more than 200 million years, dating back to the Age of Dinosaurs. As their flippers made them natural swimmers, turtles evolved into a cross between amphibian and reptile. Sea turtles in Jamaica are an infrequent siting compared to other marine life, so when spotted they should be handled with the utmost care.