The 15 Best Dolphin Watching Tours in Australia

1.Moreton Island: Dolphin & Tangalooma Wrecks Snorkel Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,039 reviews · 1 day · from $152Our pick

Snorkel Moreton Island’s Tangalooma Wrecks, spot dolphins and turtles, enjoy a prawn buffet, and relax on the beach aboard a modern catamaran.

“My highlight was snorkelling with the sea turtles and learning about the sealife, but I would have loved to hear more about the birdlife, some history in regards to Cook, the natives, Finnegan et al’s castaway story and the surrounding geography such as the Glasshouse Mountains, Flinders Peak etc. With that said, one of the lovely guides (who also drove the bus to/from the Gold Coast) offered to google answers to my questions unprompted, which was more and than I expected.”

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2.Dolphin Discovery Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 926 reviews · 1h 30m · from $28

Cruise Port Stephens for wild dolphins, headland views, live commentary, and a fun boom-net swim on a 90-minute family boat trip.

“Excellent activity! Boat was clean and huge! Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Saw loads of dolphins and had a great great time!!”

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3.Dolphin and Views Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 920 reviews · 1h 15m · from $31

Cruise Mandurah’s waterways for wild dolphins, birdlife, canal views, Aboriginal stories, and family fun, with a free return cruise if needed.

“Staff were very friendly and commentary was excellent. We saw a lot of dolphins, swimming really close to our boat. Can highly recommend this experience.”

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4.Swim with Wild Dolphins Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 669 reviews · from $214

Swim with wild dolphins near Perth on a six-hour Rockingham cruise with wetsuits, lunch, photos, and optional city transfers.

“It was the best trip ever! Nice crew, everything was perfectly prepared, the interaction with the dolphins was fabulous! They always had the dolphin's welfare at heart and you could see, that the dolphins came to them because they now and like being around them.”

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5.Dolphin Sanctuary Eco Kayaking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 560 reviews · 3 hours · from $55

Paddle Adelaide’s mangrove creeks with a marine biologist, spot wild dolphins and shipwrecks, and learn about a fragile coastal ecosystem.

“Fantastic experience - though we didn’t see dolphins we loved kayaking through the mangroves and seeing this unique ecosystem. I’m also happy the company don’t use bait or sounds to tempt the dolphins, as they should be free in their own habitats. Brayden was a great guide, friendly and informative.”

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6.Snubfin Dolphin Eco Cruise from Broome

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 533 reviews · from $110Top rated

Cruise Roebuck Bay from Broome in search of snubfin dolphins, turtles and dugongs, with snacks, drinks, a boom-net swim and expert crew.

“Great tour, seen snubfin dolphins, small and big sea turtles, sea snake, small shark and bottle nose dolphins. Crew were friendly and very informative. Would recommend to do the tour”

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7.4-Hour Swimming with Dolphins Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 439 reviews · 3h 30m · from $105

Swim with wild dolphins off Adelaide aboard Temptation, with marine biologist guides, snorkeling gear, coastal views, and ethical wildlife encounters.

“Had an absolute blast, great value for money. The staff were amazing too.”

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8.Dolphin Discovery Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 401 reviews · from $32

Review of the Port Stephens Dolphin Discovery Cruise, with wild dolphins, boom-net fun, headland views, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“Huge boat set up with dining tables, not very good for a short dolphin cruise. We didn’t actually manage to see a few dolphins but not many.”

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9.Kayaking with Dolphins in Byron Bay Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 384 reviews · from $63

Kayak Cape Byron Marine Park with guides, dolphins, turtles, and seasonal whales. See what to expect, what it costs, and who should book.

“Great fun, safe and friendly. Really great way to spend a morning. We saw whales, dolphins and turtles. Incredible.”

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10.Mandurah Dolphin Cruise and Views

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 376 reviews · from $31

Spot wild dolphins, wetlands birds, canals, and Mandurah’s waterfront homes on a calm 75-minute cruise from Perth’s nearby estuary town.

“Fantastic experience and wonderful commentary on board. She was bright, enthusiastic and clearly passionate about the flora and fauna of the area. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour and loved watching the dolphins ride along side the boat. Recommend this experience. Will definitely do it again and try some of the other Mandurah cruise options. Thank you for a great afternoon!”

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11.4-Hour Guaranteed Wild Dolphin Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 349 reviews · 3h 30m · from $63

Watch wild bottlenose and common dolphins from Adelaide’s coast on a 3.5-hour catamaran cruise with a money-back sighting guarantee.

“Fabulous! Three different groups of dolphins, and loads of interesting information about behaviour and habitat. Would definitely recommend.”

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12.Jervis Bay Dolphin Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 294 reviews · from $37

Review of the Jervis Bay Dolphin Cruise, with practical details on dolphins, timing, value, weather, boat comfort, and what to expect.

“Due to diligent staff, the cruise is very safe. There are many vantage points to view the dolphins both outside and under cover. sightings were not guaranteed, but the crew were experienced in locating the dolphin pods. I took no photos as I was engrossed in the experience!”

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13.Swim with Dolphins/Seals/Coastal Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 261 reviews · from $139

Swim with wild seals or dolphins off Kangaroo Island, with wetsuits, gear, guides, and coastal views included in this two-hour ocean safari.

“Was a great experience. We got to swim with a lot of dolphins and seals. The guides were both very knowledgeable, accomodating and fun. 100% recommend to give it a shot!”

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14.Huskisson: Dolphin Cruise & Boom Netting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 112 reviews

Cruise Jervis Bay for Bottlenose dolphins, then cool off in a thrilling boom net ride with Jervis Bay Wild in Huskisson.

“I bought it as a present. They all said they had a thoroughly good time.”

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15.Dolphin Sanctuary Single or Double Kayak Rental

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 51 reviews · 2 hours · from $27

Paddle Adelaide’s mangrove creeks by kayak, search for dolphins, and explore the sanctuary independently for two hours from Garden Island.

“good although i didn’t see any dolphins as there was only 13 in the whole lake”

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