Nathalie, content and translations at SeaBookings, shares her unforgettable experience searching for wild dolphins in Lagos:
Even though I live close to Lagos and have seen a couple of wild dolphins from the coast, I still wanted to try out the tours to search for dolphins in Lagos! And when my mum came to visit me in the beautiful Algarve, it was the perfect opportunity to take her out and go on this adventure in the search of wild dolphins in Lagos.
The day we wanted to do it started not very promising – early in the morning the sky was very grey and it didn’t look like it was going to be a good idea to go out on the sea. Luckily though, it opened up so that we were able to do the dolphin watching tour with a little bit of sun and a very calm ocean.
At the Marina in Lagos, we were welcomed by the two very friendly ladies at the check-in counter. Here we were also given some waterproof jackets, that they recommended we wear during the tour as it would get rather windy. Happily, we accepted the offer, and thank god we did so, as during the tour it was perfect to wear the jackets and be protected against the wind!
Once the boat had arrived in the Marina from the last tour, it was our turn get aboard! The boat was a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) with seats in the front, middle and the back. So everybody could choose what they prefer – the skipper explained to us that in the front it would get bumpier, and people who prefer a more calm experience should stay in the back, as there the boat didn’t get much movement! Of course, we wanted to sit further in the front, so we sat down in the second row!
Once everybody was on board, the skipper gave us some general information about what to expect during the tour and how they work to find dolphins! He made sure everybody understood English and understood what he said. And then, it was time to go out and see if we could spot some wild dolphins in Lagos!
After leaving the Marina, the skipper increased the speed and we raced outside into the big blue! The ride on the speedboat alone was already a lot of fun, and everybody was excited about what we were going to find! About 20 km from the coast we found a big fishing boat. The boat stopped, and the skipper informed us that around here there was a lot of fish and that we should keep our eyes open since the chances were high the there were some dolphins very close to us!
We cruised a little further, and after some exciting minutes, the boat slowed down again. And there we saw the first splashes of water – dolphins!!! Everybody on board got excited, and as the boat came slowly closer to the dolphins, we all were able to stand up and admire the dolphins from up close!
It was a group of about 10 dolphins, and there were even some mothers with small calves jumping around our boat. The dolphins seemed to be very playful, jumping out very close to the boat and even swimming underneath our boat. It was truly a magical experience, watching these wild animals in their natural habitat.
After some unique moments watching the dolphins and moving around the water with them, it was time to return to the Marina. The skipper took the “scenic route” along the coastline of Lagos, so we were able to also admire the beautiful caves of Ponta da Piedade and the surrounding beaches, which was the perfect way to end this unique experience!
Seeing the wild dolphins in the middle of the blue ocean was a very magical encounter, and we loved every minute of it! We highly recommend this tour!
