{"id":46990,"date":"2016-08-17T21:42:19","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T02:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=46990"},"modified":"2017-10-06T11:31:30","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T16:31:30","slug":"6-incredible-places-swim-animals-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/6-incredible-places-swim-animals-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"6 incredible places to swim with animals in nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s inevitable that you\u2019ll clock in some pool or beach time when you\u2019re on vacation, but why not take your swim to the next level? Many warm weather destinations around the world offer the opportunity to experience a swim with cute (and wild!) animals. From snorkeling with sea turtles to taking a dip with wild pigs, here are six of the best places where you can swim with animals:<\/p>\n

Also: Diving with great white sharks in South Africa<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n
\"pig

Just some pigs hogging the beach<\/p><\/div>\n

Get piggy with it in Exuma, the Bahamas<\/h3>\n

On an uninhabited island in Exuma, the Bahamas, about 20 pigs and piglets roam the land\u2014which is why this spot is nicknamed \u2018Pig Beach.\u2019 Tour guides bring vacationers to the island, where they can feed the pigs and swim alongside them. The activity is gaining popularity, especially after the pigs were featured in Pitbull\u2019s \u201cTimber\u201d video a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n

\"leopard

Can you “spot” the leopard shark? | Flickr CC: Jon Apon<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Become a leopard shark\u00a0fin-atic in La Jolla, California<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re going to swim with sharks, leopard sharks are your safest bet. The small sea creatures are pretty harmless and can be found in the waters of San Diego\u2019s scenic La Jolla community primarily at La Jolla Shores. The best time to find them\u00a0is during the summer when the ocean water is warm, and it\u2019s easy to “spot” them (get it?) via kayak or while snorkeling.<\/p>\n

\"florida

Holy cow!<\/p><\/div>\n

Have a cow in\u00a0Crystal River, Florida<\/h3>\n

The waters in Central Florida\u2019s Crystal River are crystal clear (pun intended!), making them a great spot to have a peek at the state\u2019s population of manatees (aka sea cows). The river is also known as the largest gathering area of manatees in the U.S. (and the only place where it’s legal to swim alongside the protected animals), so whether you\u2019re snorkeling or swimming (within a certain amount of distance), chances are you\u2019ll encounter quite a few new friends.<\/p>\n

\"kona

Illuminating rays of plankton for the manta rays | Flickr CC: Basher Tome<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Play with a ray in Kona, Hawaii<\/h3>\n

Night time is the right time to view manta rays in Kona, Hawaii. When it\u2019s dark, spotlights are used to attract the underwater creatures, who feed off the nearby plankton illuminated by the light. The friendly manta rays can be up to around 14-feet wide in size and often swim within inches of snorkelers and scuba divers.<\/p>\n

\"See

Don’t forget to take a shelfie | Flickr CC: Sean O’Shaughnessy<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

“Sea” a turtle in Barbados<\/h3>\n

If you want to swim with sea turtles, there are more than a dozen tour companies to choose from in Barbados. The majority of them provide lunch, masks and snorkels, making your date with the turtles the perfect family-friendly excursion. Thanks to the combination of the calm waters on the west coast of the island and the friendliness of the turtles, it\u2019s very easy for tourists to swim alongside them.<\/p>\n

\"Stingray

They don’t call it Stingray City for nothing | Flickr CC: Craig D<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Get fishy with stingrays\u00a0in the Cayman Islands<\/h3>\n

Stingrays aren\u2019t normally visible to swimmers, but brave tourists can get close to them at the Stingray City dive sites (a series of shallow sandbars) in Grand Cayman. Divers and snorkelers in this part of the Cayman Islands can not only swim alongside the stingrays, but can also feed them.<\/p>\n

\"Orbitz<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the Grand Caymans islands to the La Jolla shores, these destinations will have you swimming with some wild and wonderful animals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":47041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,27,39],"tags":[2660],"class_list":["post-46990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california","category-caribbean","category-hawaii","tag-adventure"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"Exuma, The Bahamas","latitude":"23.6192598","longitude":"-75.96954649999998","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\n6 incredible places to swim with animals in nature | Orbitz<\/title>\n<meta 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