Quick Details
Be A Part Of Our Mission
This encounter includes 8 spots per program that can be reserved individually at $800/person. A portion of each Conservation program fee is tax deductible based on fair market value and is sent DIRECTLY to help conservation projects around the world! This program is a 3–4-hour group guided tour that includes 35 minutes – 1 hour in the pool with our awesome otters and interaction with at least 7 different species of animals.
The type of animals per program can change depending on the day, but most often the animals in addition to the otters can include owl, paca, sloth, armadillo, kangaroo, capybara, and lemurs. There are a limited number of spots available in each encounter, and all programs are set up as group guided tours. Because of this, we do not have any extra spots for additional people to observe, take pictures, or do partial tours, so each person in attendance would need to have a reservation for that encounter.
Conservation Otter Swim Encounters also includes an “otter-graphed” painting, Nurtured by Nature T-shirt and towel.
Minimum age: 18 years old
As we have grown, so has our budget. To develop and move forward with our goals, we will need to add additional employees, be able to provide medical benefits to our employees, upgrade enclosures and facilities, and be able to provide for the increased number of Make-A- Wish programs. We strive to keep our costs as low as possible and have found that we are able to operate at approximately half the budget of similar facilities. It is important for you to know that we always strive to improve and upgrade our animal care and employee benefits.
PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING
Generally, we open our schedule one calendar year at a time. If the calendar says, “no online availability”, then that means there are no more reservations available unless a cancellation occurs. This is not an error; we regularly stay booked a year in advance. We recommend that you check the online calendar often so if a cancellation occurs, you can book the spot at that time. Cancellations generally fill up within minutes of showing available, so we are unable to offer a wait or notification list. If you still have questions that are not answered here or on our FAQ page, please feel free to contact us.
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As we get ready to launch the 2021 Otter Swim Reservation calendar after a year of COVID chaos, we have had to adjust our cancellation policy to try to make the process as fair as possible but still allow us to sustain our business. What we mean by that is we want it to be fair for our guests, but it is also important to understand that we have animals to feed, employees to compensate, and utilities, insurances, and mortgages to pay. We understand that in years past, getting a reservation has proven to be somewhat challenging for a lot of folks and therefore we have seen quite a bit of double booking with the intention of cancelling one date. This unfortunately is not fair to other people trying to book dates and makes the process a lot more challenging. Our hope is that with advanced notice of our change in policy, our guests can plan accordingly and not have to worry about it impacting their visit.
Our new cancellation policy will be enforced as follows starting on January 1, 2021.
- If Nurtured by Nature/Animal Educators receives 30 days or more advance notice of cancellation, that will allow for a full refund of program fees (taking into account the multiple booking cancellation fee mentioned in item #4).
- If less than 30 days advance notice of cancellation is received, then the reservation will be non-refundable.
- Reservations can be transferred to another name at any time.
- In an effort to be as fair as possible, and because we have had challenges with people abusing our previous cancellation policy, if multiple dates are booked for the same guests in a calendar year, and they need to cancel any of those reservations, then there will be a $100/person cancellation fee regardless of the amount of notice given. This cancellation fee only applies to people who book multiple reservations in the same year.
- The FareHarbor booking fee is not refundable.
- This refund policy applies only to the regular Public Otter Swim Encounters. Conservation Otter Swim Encounter donations are considered a donation, not a program fee. Donations are non-refundable. Requests to reschedule Conservation programs must be received at least 30 days in advance otherwise we cannot accommodate that request.
- If the forecast is for inclement weather, we will still continue with encounters unless there is extremely bad weather, in which case we will contact you the day before the program to refund or reschedule.
- Processing of refunds can take up to 30 days, depending on how long it takes your financial institution to credit your account, but generally it takes a couple of weeks or less.
- Nurtured by Nature/Animal Educators reserves the right to determine reschedule or refund in the event that WE need to cancel a program.
Cameras
Don’t forget your camera. We will be in water, so please make sure it’s secured against getting wet as we are not responsible for damaged phones or cameras due to water or otters!
Feet Friendly
Make sure you have the proper footwear for your encounter. We like to tell guests to pretend they’re going on an easy hike.Protect those toes and you’re all set.
Weather Wear
Please make sure you are prepared for the weather, and pack accordingly. Check the forecast before you head out, grab a jacket, and get ready to swim!
Pets/Service Animals
In order to maintain the health of our animals, we do not allow outside animals on property (and unfortunately this includes service animals). Even when we bring new animals onto property, we quarantine them to avoid introducing any disease or sickness that may be detrimental to our resident animals.
Towel/Change of Clothes
Bring a towel and a change of clothes for after your encounter. We do not provide these items, so it’s best to come prepared and ensure you’re dry for the drive home.
Bathing Suit
We recommend bringing a comfortable bathing suit and t-shirt for swimming with the otters, but BEWARE If your bathing suit is loose fitting, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll have an otter in it!
PLEASE NOTE: Loose jewelry, necklaces, earrings and jewelry used in piercings may be prohibited within the animal environment. Nurtured By Nature will provide a place to store your small personal items prior to your encounter. Thank you for your help in ensuring our animal friends have a safe environment to interact with guests. If you have any questions, you can email us via our contact page.