Bathing with dolphins is an entertainment or a method of psychotherapy?

Treatment of various diseases through communication with animals has been used in medicine for a long time. And at the end of the twentieth century, they started talking about a new direction - dolphin therapy. Bathing with dolphins is becoming more popular. Most often it is used to treat psychotherapeutic problems and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. But in addition to treatment sessions in recent years, swimming with dolphins and as entertainment has become common. Such sessions are expensive, but are also very popular. Many people want to relax and get a lot of positive emotions, dealing with these amazing animals.

Why dolphin therapy is useful

It has long been noted that people and dolphins have much in common: they have a four-chambered heart, the need for breathing oxygen, the ability to communicate. And in recent years, scientists have found that these good-natured mammals often understand a person even better than himself. After talking with them, people are in a good mood. Even a dolphin closed and engrossed in human affairs can make you smile. This session gives a lot of positive emotions. Therefore swimming with dolphins and enjoys such popularity. Useful not only communication and positive effects of staying in salt water, the sounds produced by these animals are also useful. Bottlenose dolphins and beluga whales are best suited. They are common in most dolphinariums. And the bottlenose dolphins are very sensitive to the human condition and understand many words, while the beluga whales are more calm.

What is the effect of bathing with dolphins

In Moscow and St. Petersburg, you can already find institutions that offer visits to dolphin therapy sessions. Although earlier this opportunity was provided only by resort towns. Many have already tried to swim with dolphins, and everyone notes that even one session has a positive effect:

• Causes bright positive emotions;
• Makes you look at problems in a new way and deal with stress;
• Improves the condition of a person with diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• Relaxes and helps to calm down;
• Improves mood, improves sleep;
• Helps overcome the fear of water and isolation;
• Family therapy with dolphins gives harmony in relationships and prevents quarrels.

At what diseases this method is applied

• Most often swimming with dolphins is used in the treatment of children with diseases of the central nervous system. A positive effect is observed in children's cerebral palsy, autism, Down's syndrome and mental retardation.
• This method also helps children with speech and memory disorders, hearing impairment and low learning ability.

• It uses dolphin therapy for depression, neuroses and nervous disorders, recovery from psychological trauma.
• Such sessions are effective for diseases of the cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system.
• Very useful dolphin therapy in pregnancy. In addition to the positive effects of water, one can also note the influence of ultrasound, which produces dolphins, it stimulates the development of certain organs of the baby and improves the well-being of the mother.

Where you can swim with dolphins

Most often, these services provide resort towns. But in recent years, swimming with dolphins in Moscow has also become possible. True, it is expensive, and the session should be recorded in advance, since there are a lot of interested people. One of the dolphinariums in the capital, which provided such services inexpensively, from 3500 rubles, unfortunately, was closed. Now you can swim with these amazing creatures for 7000-12 000 per session in the Moskvarium or VDNKh. And for children it is better not to choose an entertaining event, but a therapeutic bath with dolphins. The price of one session will in this case be less - about 4000 rubles, because the course is ordered. Bathing with dolphins in St. Petersburg is a bit cheaper - from 4000 to 9000 rubles, depending on the dolphinarium.

Bathing rules

More often such services are offered to visitors by a dolphinarium. Bathing with dolphins is possible after presentation or at another time. But, going to the session, you need to remember some rules:

• Before this, it is better to consult a doctor, since dolphin therapy has some contraindications, for example, infectious diseases, cancer tumors, epilepsy and inflammations on the skin;
• Normal swimming with dolphins as entertainment is allowed only for adults and children over 12 years;
• To swim is best in a diving suit or a sports swimsuit. Some dolphinariums provide them to visitors, but it is better to have their own;
• In the pool is not allowed to dive with rings, bracelets and chains;

• Dolphins - living beings, you need to treat them carefully: do not stick your fingers into the breathing hole (hole on the head), do not impose your communication;
• People are not allowed to such activities in a state of intoxication, or who are unable to stand alone on the water.

Is it always useful?

Despite the fact that dolphin therapy and simple swimming with dolphins are becoming more popular, many scientists are against this. They believe that such sessions can harm and are especially dangerous for children. After all, water in the basins of dolphinariums often does not comply with SanPiN norms. It is impossible to change it the way it should be - every day by 80%, so clean it with chlorine and hydrochloric acid. In addition, dolphins are affected by the same viral and fungal diseases. And before going to the session, dolphin therapy does not require a certificate of health. And it may be that before you bathed in the pool man with a human papillomavirus or candidiasis. Therefore, it is not recommended to visit such activities in mobile dolphinariums.