7 Best Destinations to Swim With Exotic Animals

You may remember the Obamas' furry black Bo from the White House lawn photos. The beautiful black canine is a Portuguese Water Dog, and the Conrad Algarve hotel in Portugal offers a chance to swim with them. The Portuguese Water Dogs were taught by the Romans to be companions and also workers: they herded fish, retrieved nets, and passed messages between boats using their powerful webbed feet to swim through the water. Although they're not carrying messages these days, Carla Peralta — a local who breeds these dogs — arranges private tours to interact with her dogs in the ocean.