In one of the few programs of its kind in the Caribbean, The Institute for Marine Sciences based at Anthony’s Key Resort (AKR) studies the local dolphin population and runs a variety of highly regarded interactions with them. Spectators are welcome to stop by daily at 4 p.m. for the informal dolphin show (call first to confirm the time, as it can vary), where trainers work with the dolphins and perform health checks.

Certified scuba divers can enjoy 45 minutes of controlled but unstructured swimming with dolphins over open-water sand flats (US$112, extra to rent equipment). You can also snorkel for 30 minutes with the dolphins for US$84, or have a beachside “dolphin encounter” for US$60, complete with a dolphin kiss. An institute trainer accompanies all diving and snorkeling expeditions.

Those interested in more detailed information on the dolphins can take a specialty course, with one day of lessons and activities (US$160 pp for AKR guests, or US$202 for nonguests). Information about the institute and the dolphin activities is available on AKR’s website, www.anthonyskey.com.

The Institute for Marine Sciences has several exhibits on invertebrates, reptiles, birds, fish, coral-reef life, and the geology of the Bay Islands, as well as a small but worthwhile bilingual museum on local archaeology and history. Admission to the Institute for Marine Sciences’s museum is US$2; the facility is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily.