Interspecies Etiquette in Place: Ethical Affordances in Swim-With-Dolphins Programs

Situated in the liminal spaces where marine and terrestrial worlds come together to form swim-with-dolphin programs, this paper examines impacts of place upon human-dolphin interactions. Motivated by a strong desire to get close to a dolphin, many people seek out opportunities to "““swim with dolphins,"”” but what is the nature of these programs and how are they actually experienced by participants? If people are seeking genuine contact with a dolphin, does context make a significant difference? Moreover, can and do swim-with-dolphin programs afford ethical ways of interacting with dolphins? These questions are addressed through examining three representative swim-with-dolphin programs. Comparative analysis further illustrates how place is vital to engagements of interspecies etiquette.