There are three ways to see dolphins.
The first one is in the wild, if you are lucky enough to spot any.
Sea World provides another possibility for dolphin lovers.
And there is Monkey Mia in Western Australia. This is where you will get closer to wild dolphins than you’ll ever do in your life. But that’s not all. The best part about visiting the wild dolphins of Monkey Mia is that you meet them on their own terms. You read that all right.
Every day five wild dolphins come to shore to receive a daily ration of fish. The wild dolphins are not forced to come for their morning feed. In fact they may not come at all.
What is unique about this program is that it is really well managed. Dolphins (no more than five dolphins are allowed in the program at any one time) only receive about 500 grams worth of fish every morning at 7:30. This is about 1/10 the food eaten by an adult dolphin. This is to ensure that dolphins do not lose their hunting instinct. When the feeding begins, members of staff randomly select five persons from the crowd to hand-feed the dolphins. Touching the dolphins is strictly forbidden for both staff members and the public.
The dolphin experience in Monkey Mia provides the ideal way (in my opinion) humans should interact with wildlife. Contrast Monkey Mia with Sea World, which confines its animals to small enclosures for the sake of our egoistical enjoyment: we want to see the animals but we are too lazy to see them in their own environment.
Back to Monkey Mia - We arrived very early at the beach to watch the show. There were about 150 people standing on the beach hoping to be part of the Lucky 5.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I was selected to feed dolphin Picolo!!! It looks like my bright red shirt attracted the eye of a 75 year-old staff member. I gave Picolo her fish and she took a big bite.
Monkey Mia is an absolute experience that respects the basics of ethical interaction between humans and wildlife. Do yourself a favor and pay the dolphins a visit!
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