on the pristine island of Bimini, Bahamas
July 22-28, 2023
Limited to 12
Rest Your Mind – Relax Your Body – Restore Your Spirit
One cannot begin to describe the thrill and delight of swimming with wild dolphins. Spending time with these intelligent, joyful, playful creatures is a privilege not many people get to enjoy. Changes and challenges in our world today can leave us feeling stressed and anxious about the future. Yes, we are shifting into a new time and a new reality, and the transition process can be exhausting on all levels.
The dolphins are wise and powerful teachers. As they swim close to us and make eye contact while scanning us with their sonar and bombarding us with their clicks, chirps and whistles, many people experience a profound sense of peace, joy and healing. Being in the presence of dolphins will rest your mind, relax your body and restore your spirit.
Wild Dolphin Swim Retreat Itinerary:
Friday, July 21
Depart from your home city and arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
We will overnight at a nice hotel and enjoy dinner together, just a short walk away. Meal at your expense.
Saturday, July 22
After an early breakfast, we transfer to the private airport for our charter flight to Bimini. Upon arrival we will take the water taxi (so cool!) to the Seacrest Hotel and Marina. Today is a free day to relax, go to the beach–just a few steps away behind our lodging–and explore. The water is exquisite! I call it “swimming in silky turquoise.”
Alice Town is at the center of most of Bimini’s activity. Everything is close, so walking is the usual method of getting place to place. Restaurants specializing in local seafood and other dishes are situated throughout the island. The straw market across the street features island wear and a wide variety of souvenirs.
This would be a good time to visit the amazing artsy Dolphin House or for us to rent golf carts to discover the rest of Bimini. We will have dinner at the Big Game Club, a favorite spot, with a great view! Several bars and night spots with island music provide the evening entertainment. Meals at your expense today.
Sunday, July 23 L,D
Enjoy your free morning. Today we will meet our Scottish assistant, Julie. She will conduct a dolphin protocol orientation and go over safety rules for our dolphin boat. We will get our masks, snorkels and fins, and have a chance to try them out at the beach. Next, we will have lunch in our private dining room with our own personal chef! In the afternoon, we board our boat, meet Captain Al, and prepare for our first encounter with the magical dolphins of Bimini.
Monday-Thursday, July 24-27 B, L, D
We spend the next 4 days exploring Bimini in the mornings and spending the afternoons with the dolphins and snorkeling. Our time with these wild dolphins is a gift from them and will evolve as they wish. This is an ecologically sensitive program that allows us to observe, interact with, and swim with these beautiful beings. The photo and video opportunities are absolutely outstanding.
Our dolphin excursions take place each afternoon, weather permitting, and trips can be anywhere from 3 to 4 hours in length. It takes approximately one hour to reach the dolphin grounds.
Please remember these are wild dolphins so encounters cannot be guaranteed. We are on the dolphin’s time schedule, so when or if they come to play with us is their decision. One of the powerful lessons they teach us is about letting go of control, relaxing and just being in the moment. Encounters can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as an hour — and you might have multiple encounters in one afternoon. Those magical Bimini dolphins are full of surprises!
No trip to Bimini would be complete without snorkeling over Mysterious Bimini Road! A quarter-mile off Paradise Point lays an ancient, underwater road of stones that has baffled natives, mystics and scientists for generations. Some call it the Bimini Road or the Atlantis Wall and believe it may lead to the lost continent of Atlantis. It is quite a mystical experience, and many say they can feel the energy that emanates from these huge underwater stones.
You may also choose from other optional island activities, like renting a bike or a golf cart. Everyone enjoys going out into the mangroves on Ebbie’s boat to visit the Healing Hole and see the statue to Martin Luther King, who came to Bimini to write his speeches. There is a small museum, as well, in AliceTown with photos of Ernest Hemingway, a frequent visitor, and posters of movies made on the island. Remember Cocoon?!
As we bring to a close a wonderful week of fun, sun and sharing time with new flippered friends, human and dolphin, you’ll leave Bimini feeling refreshed and restored on all levels.
Friday, July 28
After breakfast we leave for Bimini airport for our flight back to Ft Lauderdale and our connecting flights home. New and lasting friendships have been made and you will find the dolphin energy remains with you forever. They truly are the Angels of the Sea!
INCLUDES:
- 6 nights Seacrest Hotel Bimini – double occupancy
- All meals from Sunday lunch to Friday breakfast
- 5 afternoon dolphin excursions on private dolphin boat
- Snorkel equipment
- Private van round trip from Ft Lauderdale hotel to charter flight terminal
- Charter flight Ft Lauderdale to Bimini roundtrip
NOT INCLUDED:
- Airfare to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida round trip from your home
- Friday night hotel in Ft. Lauderdale
- Van and water taxi from Bimini airport to Seacrest hotel round trip
- Meals from Friday night to Sunday breakfast
- Optional activities—Healing Hole, Dolphin House, Golf cart island tour
- Gratuity to boat crew and hotel staff
COSTS and REGISTRATION
Dolphin Swim Retreat Cost:
$2,999 per person in a shared room by check, Zelle, Venmo
$3115 by credit card
$500 Non-refundable deposit to hold your space by check, Zelle, Venmo
$520 by credit card
$370 Single Supplement by check, Zelle, Venmo
$385 by credit card
Balance is due May 22, 2023
$2499 Balance by check, Zelle, Venmo.
$2598 by credit card
Plus Single Supplement if applicable
Send your check to Susan Duval, 200 Spruce St, Apt C5, Doylestown PA 18901.
OR by Zelle to SusanDuvalSeminars@gmail.com
OR by Venmo (full payment) to Susan-Duval-2
OR by credit card via Paypal to SusanDuvalSeminars@gmail.com
Call Susan at 267-614-6012c or email her at SusanDuvalSeminars@gmail.com for a Registration Form. Your passport must be valid until Jan 30, 2024
TESTIMONIALS
I just would like to thank you all for the GREAT time we had in Bimini. This was one of the most enjoyable trips I have ever been on. Being around the dolphins was magical. They are amazing! It was so exciting to be able to experience this. I think we were an exceptional group! Thank you for the connections we all had, the laughs and great adventures. We have all been touched by the “Right Hand of God” now! Hopefully we will all meet again. Susan, thank you for all of the planning and coordinating of such an incredible trip. You do a great job! –Stephanie G., Chesterbrook PA
When I booked this trip, it was because I was trying to heal after a very hard period in my life. I had searched online to find a dolphin retreat, and luckily, found this one. I have always loved dolphins, turquoise waters, and this seemed perfect.
Little did I know what I was in for! Bimini is an amazing and magical place. The locals are friendly and gentle, the water is beautiful, and there is so much to do there. The dolphins are gentle, kind animals that graced us with their presence time after time. I spent as much time as possible in the water with them, and it was never enough.
The staff on this trip became like family. They were pleasant and personable. Not at all like a commercial trip. And the added bonus? The people in our group were an amazing bunch. I have learned so much-about Bimini, the dolphins, and a wide variety of things from my fellow group members. My only regret is that our magical trip passed by so quickly. I highly recommend this dolphin retreat, and would like to repeat this journey again soon! — Laurence C. Montreal CA
Swimming with wild dolphins is an incredible experience. A true lesson in joy. Sharing this experience in community with like-minded travelers intensifies it. The expertise of the Dolphin Researchers gave us a very intimate connection with each individual dolphin. Even though I’d done 6 other dolphin trips, I learned more from this trip than I’d learned in all my reading and from other tour guides. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for dolphins and such a high respect for their mission of relating to us, as we were their guests in the ocean. It touched me. Thank you. — Beth C., Arizona
What an incredible experience! Floating in the clear, warm waters of Bimini surrounded by a pod of 25 wild dolphins is pure joy. Excellent meals shared with like-minded travelers and guided adventures and trips exploring the island enhanced this experience. I guarantee you; there isn’t anything else like this trip! A great trip brings joy to everyone as witnessed by our spontaneous singing throughout the week. That was just dolphin energy influencing us, don’t you think?
Also, I appreciated the feeling of being cared for in a safe environment –on the boat, in the water, driving the golf carts, water taxi, all of it felt like just enough of an adventure but with you and Julie and Al & crew, it was such a supportive tour. Thank you for that. What a responsibility. You were there for everyone. Thanks Susan. — Beth C., Albuquerque NM
Thank you again for facilitating such a wonderful experience and trip. I absolutely loved it and being on the water every day and not connected to the outside world was a blessing beyond imagination. I still feel downloads from this trip and am sleeping so much and so deep, it is wonderful. Had some wonderful insights and feel that Julie’s Reconnective energy treatment is still working on me, as well as the whole dolphin experience! — Yvonne V. E., Tulsa OK
Hello to you all, It was great to have a few days to wind down on the island and revisit some of the spots and people we had met earlier in the week. We stopped and visited with Thomas and he told us about his life on the island. Later we met a woman who said she was born and raised on the island and then found out she was Al’s cousin. It was such a special trip and everyone was such a delight. You all made it extra special. Thanks again to Susan for bringing us all together and Julie for making us all feel so cared for. We have all been touched and blessed by the dolphins. Blessings to you all, — SuEllen
Thanks to everyone for bringing your energetic selves to our outings. Hard to get back to the old routine, so I’m gonna stay on island time when I can! The first day back, I made Bob’s Key Lime Pie recipe and relished the memories from our lovely meals. Julie, you are so delightful and it was a joy to meet you and hear your stories. I’ll never forget your T-shirt manifestation. You’ve got some powerful vibes going on there. — Marcy
You all were such a joy to be with in Bimini and I can’t thank you enough for making this a very special trip above and beyond the joy of being with the dolphins! I really felt the thin veil between the worlds in Bimini and it has taken me some time to adjust back in to my “regular” life. Blessings and love to all, — Lynn We were an incredible special gathering of amazing and supportive folks experiencing, what was for me, a once in a lifetime Bucket List event to be swimming with Dolphins in the wild, together. Hugs to all!! — C. F., Downingtown