Every video clip or photo produced by the Dolphin Dance Project represents dolphins (and humans) who have chosen to participate voluntarily - out of the excitement and joy of making a connection with an intelligent being from another species. We only work with wild dolphins in the open ocean, on the dolphins’ terms. We never feed dolphins, nor attempt to coerce or train them in any way. We only interact with dolphins who approach us out of their own curiosity.  We do our best to be well-informed about the most current scientific research on natural behavior of dolphins so that we can interact with them in ways that are safe and appropriate for humans and dolphins. We understand that we are visitors in the dolphins’ environment and we never attempt to interact with dolphins if they are resting or feeding or show any signs of disinterest or annoyance.

Our approach to encountering dolphins is very precise and disciplined, informed by our scientific understanding of dolphins and our specific artistic training and goals. It is dancing, not swimming. Viewers should not expect similar interactions with captive dolphins or even wild dolphins that are encountered on swim-with-dolphin tours. 

We do not share the locations of our encounters, as our goal is not the promotion of tourism to specific destinations. We are cognizant of the pressures that excessive human tourism imposes on pods of habituated dolphins due to even the most eco-friendly tours.

Our aim is to provide a film experience for audiences that will serve to inspire viewers to respect and protect dolphins and their habitats, and also perhaps to inspire an inner evaluation about the relationship of humans to the wild.

If you are planing to encounter wild dolphins on their terms, in the open ocean, we recommend that you be guided by this Code of Conduct, written by Kathleen Dudzinski, PhD who has conducted one of the longest standing field research projects on wild dolphins and is quite expert on interacting with them.

Dolphin Swims: A Code of Conduct

In our experience, wild dolphins of all kinds are amongst the most generous and inviting ‘cultural groups’ that a person could ever hope to encounter. Indeed, visiting dolphins is a little like visiting a foreign country. The more we learn about the ‘local’ culture - through books, videos, or observation - the better we can ‘fit in’...be polite...and have the best social interactions possible. For more information about dolphins in the wild including recommendations for books and documentaries, please visit our links page.