Wild Dolphin Swim & Watch (October to April)
Duration:
Operated By:
WILD DOLPHIN SWIM
$359.00 per person (ages 7+)
This is the only permitted wild dolphin swim in New South Wales, and the first swim of its kind in the world! We are located in the stunning Port Stephens region, and depart from Nelson Bay where we go offshore and swim with wild oceanic common dolphins! Come and join the pod to witness TRUE wild dolphin behaviour! The dolphins don’t just swim past you, they swim WITH you for a long, interactive and mind-blowing experience! You are harnessed to a customised rope which is strung between the two bows of a 52’ (16m) catamaran and slowly pulled through the water. This is the safest and most harmonious way to swim with wild oceanic dolphins! They get a free ride and are having just as much fun as we are, and most importantly – they are free to swim away at any point! There is a maximum of 24 swimmers and 12 observers on each tour.
Location: Dock C, d’Albora Marina, Teramby Road, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, New South Wales. Only a 2.5 hour drive from Sydney!
Time: 6:15am to 11:00am – 4.5 hour tour (guests are requested to arrive at 6:15am for check-in and wetsuit fitting)
Inclusions: All equipment & training (wetsuit, mask & snorkel, safety harness), 4.5 hour cruise on a 52’ catamaran, a champagne brunch, tea & coffee, educational commentary, all above-water photos, and a customised underwater and above water video of your experience with the dolphins!
WILD DOLPHIN WATCH
$109.00 per person (Ages 4 and under free)
Description: This is the best dolphin watching experience you could ever do! Not only do you get to go offshore and watch wild oceanic dolphins in their natural environment, you get to watch them interact with humans as well! “Our” dolphins are always within meters of the boat- so close that you can hear them whistling! There are often hundreds of them around us, jumping and splashing! These oceanic common dolphins are much more interesting than the small pods of shy bottlenose dolphins that most dolphin watching cruises look for inside the bay! This is also a great option if there is someone in your group who wants to stay dry, but still have the best day ever. As long as you book on the same day, you will be on the same tour as your swimming buddies.
Location: Dock C, d’Albora Marina, Teramby Road, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, New South Wales
Time: 6:15am to 11:00am – 4.5 hour tour (guests are requested to arrive at 6:15am for check-in)
Inclusions: 4.5 hour cruise on a 52’ catamaran, champagne brunch, tea & coffee, educational commentary on the area and marine life, and above-water photos of you and the dolphins!
*Tours will NOT operate in unsafe conditions.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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Thank you very much
Even without such a fortunate dolphin experience, the trip would still have been a beautiful boat trip. Holding on to the rope and going thru the water was fun in itself. The staff - boat captain, swim managers, marine scientist and looker-after of humans were all great. I also appreciated being able to have some hot water to rinse and being able to change and get warm after the last swim, the urn to make hot drinks, the plentiful food on offer and the glass of sparkling.
Best of all, it was excellent to know that the dolphins had come to hang out with the boat because they wanted to and were having fun.
We were so lucky with the weather, calm seas, perfect sunrise and the water was warm.
We also saw so many dolphins. Watching the dolphins on deck was one thing but then getting into the water with them was truly magical. We all loved every moment of the experience. We would definitely recommend it.
What a great day! I was nervous about doing the swim as having little experience with using snorkel equipment and being out in the ocean but the crew were fantastic and were right there to help. Managed to get two swims in with the pod of dolphins including babies - the pod numbered into the hundreds and was so close to nearly touching them. My husband stayed onboard and enjoyed it as much as I did as they swam alongside the catamaran. Highly recommend DSA and can’t wait to do it again. Thankyou to the DSA crew for making it an enjoyable experience and one I will never forget.
Starting from the main character: the Dolphins are so cute, and they’re everywhere!!!! They love to swim and play with both the boat and the people!!
Shoutout to the whole crew: from the captain, to the dolphins swim australia crew!!
Blake and his girlfriend Tay (forgive me if i spelled it wrong) are so nice, available and genuine! They stopped and talked to us about lots of different things about dolphins and other good sites for snorkeling and diving!!
The whole experience felt spot on from the first minute! Very organized, efficient and truly engaging!! :)
I definitely recommend it to everyone!! Even to those who are scared! It’s 1000% safe and beautiful!!
Oh my heart!! <3
It’s overflowing!!
Such a special experience
I HIGHLY recommend!!
I have swam with many dolphins, though this Dolphin Swim has been one of favourites!!
The most beautiful sailing boat ‘Imagine’ owned & operated by the most experienced sailor, Captain Frank!
who has many ocean tales to share!
The crew on the Imagine & at Dolphin Swim Australia are all so friendly, down to earth, have such interesting individual stories to share & most importantly, are all super passionate about Ocean Conservation!! :))
Protecting, Defending and Conserving the ocean and marine mammals < 3
Sharing Dreamtime stories of the land, sea and marine mammals and how important it is to honour and respect these stories.
The crew is also super fun, always dancing & singing on board
It’s all just one big dolphin party!!
My fave kind of party!!
The scenery is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen in all of my world wide travels
I never want to come back to land after being out there experiencing all the magic this trip has to offer!
Boycott SeaWorld
( & ALL businesses exploiting animals in captivity ) & do yourself a favour and go and book a swim with Dolphin Swim Australia
You won’t regret it!
Always on a high when I come back from a swim with the crew!!
<3
The crew are really good humans, and every decision the crew made reflected their deep care for the dolphins, the environment, each other, and especially the people onboard.
We live locally and thought we’d seen dolphins before, but nothing compares to what we witnessed today. Epic crew. Epic wildlife. Epic family time. Epic experience. This will stay with us for a lifetime and we’ll be recommending it to everyone.
PS. Our group ranged in age from 9 to 50, including teenagers, and every single person rated it a 10/10 experience. That’s a first for us!
Their passion for the ocean is incredible, inspiring and contagious! Our children instantly bonded with the staff, who made every moment enjoyable. The entire experience was nothing short of magical—every interaction, every splash, every smile.
I have no words for how special swimming with these wild dolphins was, I truly underestimated the experience and was blown away!
We gained invaluable knowledge about marine life, and the sense of care and kindness from the team made us feel safe and appreciated. Our kids are already asking to return, and honestly, so are we!
Thank you for creating precious memories that our family will cherish forever. We are truly grateful for this unforgettable experience and cannot wait to come back!
The crew was an extremely friendly and dynamic team with a high level of experience and professionalism. The boat was excellent, and the catering was outstanding, with high-quality food and drinks provided throughout the trip. An outstanding opportunity to snorkel with wild dolphins while fully respecting their natural environment and without disturbing or influencing them in any way. A truly respectful approach to wildlife.
The Dolphin Swim staff were all incredible and just made the experience so much fun! Everyones energy when we saw the dollies was next level! Cannot recommend this experience more highly! Seriously... do it!
Wasn't sure what to expect but the staff made sure everyone has a great time. The first jump into the water was met with high swells and no chance of seeing dolphins so they didn't count it as one of our 2 dives. The second dive was absolutely incredible. Seeing dolphins swimming literally metres from your face is very clear water is a memory that will not be erased easily. Neither is seeing one do a right in front of you. The view even when standing in the deck is pretty special. We saw dolphins coming in from all angles and a few even breached the surface giving us a real show.
It's an expensive experience but worth every cent!
From the incredible swim with the beautiful wild common dolphins, to the whole crew on board! The crew made this experience even more unforgettable!
We loved every single second of it, and feel very lucky t have been able to do this!
I am definitely coming back! 🩵
We were blessed with phenomenal conditions, surrounded by hundreds of dolphins, and even spotted whales! 🐬🐋 The crew kept the energy high and helped calm any nerves, making the whole experience feel effortless and full of joy.
We honestly couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces the entire day. This is an experience we will remember for life! Couldn’t recommend it more - this is 100% a bucket list experience!
Thank you to the whole crew for making this experience so special 🐬
We were blessed with phenomenal conditions, surrounded by hundreds of dolphins, and even spotted whales! 🐬🐋 The crew kept the energy high and helped calm any nerves, making the whole experience feel effortless and full of joy.
We honestly couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces the entire day. This is an experience we will remember for life! Couldn’t recommend it more - this is 100% a bucket list experience!
Thank you to the whole crew for making this experience so special 🐬
Thanks so much team
We spent the morning swimming with dolphins, we saw so many, up close and the experience was unreal.
We originally did this experience last year, but unfortunately we were in the small percentage of people who didn’t see any dolphins and therefore couldn’t swim with them, but the process to rebook (at no cost) to try again was seamless and 100% worth it.
The boat itself is comfortable, great breaky provided, hot shower for when you get out and everything you need is supplied. An energetic crew who are genuinely passionate about your experience, would recommend!
I can confirm the videos are real. The dolphins do play in the bow waves and swim alongside the boat- even going close to the swimmers. It’s an incredible experience.
The views on the boat are gorgeous. The staff are attentive and friendly, and passionate about what they do.
I will stop short of calling it ‘once in a lifetime’ experience, as we are talking about our next visit.
Saw some big oceanic bottlenose dolphins then a pod of 50-100 commons we were looking for.
Amazing how interested in the humans the dolphins are. They come super close. When the swimmers hop out the dolphins lost interest until people jumped in again and the dolphins jumped back o to the bow wave.
We got 4 swims of 5-10 minutes which seemed like good value for money.
Crew were fantastic, very helpful and enthusiastic. Special shout out to skipper Rob who did a great job keeping us tight on the pod.
My partner and I took part in this amazing experience, and it was one of the most incredible adventures we've ever had.
The team was truly exceptional-highly skilled, passionate about their work, and deeply respectful of nature and wild dolphins. Their enthusiasm and love for what they do made the experience even more special.
Everything was perfectly organized, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the moment. A huge thank you to the entire team for their kindness and enthusiasm.
Highly, highly recommended!
The dolphins were absolutely incredible! So intelligent, playful, and gentle. Getting up close with them, swimming alongside them was definitely a bucket list experience.
I can’t recommend this enough! If you’re looking for a magical and unforgettable adventure, this is definitely it. Thank you to the amazing team for making this such a special experience!
The staff where very professional and so enthusiastic .
This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity- an ETHICAL and environmentally friendly dolphin swim.
My partner and I had the most magical time thanks to Adam and crew. Even though we didn’t have any luck with the dolphins first time around, Adam managed to squeeze us in to the next day’s tour.
Matt (I hope that was his name!) had so much enthusiasm and excitement about the dolphins and that made the early morning so entertaining, while we waited for the dolphins to come out to play.
If you have any doubts about going on this tour: DO IT.
Even if you think it is pricey, think about what you get for the money- you get to go on a clean, safe catamaran, run by an excellent enthusiastic boat crew who have no hesitation in helping with all things dolphin, AS WELL AS the wonderful DSA team, who are the most dolphin enthusiastic people you’ll ever meet and who obviously adore their jobs. You are paying for amazing customer service, a continental breakfast and mimosas, and you get to swim with dolphins who are in their natural habitat, without any coercion or force. You also get photos and a video to remember it with- although I definitely recommend bringing your own go pro/ underwater camera for more personal footage.
After your safety, their first priority is the dolphins- they even have a marine specialist on board to monitor the dolphins’ behaviour and ensure they are happy. You can ask them as many questions as you have! Dr. Dave, part of the DSA team, was excellent with answering all of our questions.
Adam and team, thank you again, for a magical, once in a lifetime experience.
Amazing crew of absolute frothers who are genuinely passionate about marine conservation and offering a world class experience.
After passenger swim the crew went in. They were as happy as we were, which underlined their passion.
It may take some courage at first, but absolutely worth it. You are secured underneath the boat and swim along with the dolphins. Crew is always at your side and cheering the whole group. It‘s the most natural experience you can get with dolphins.
Looking forward to see the photos the crew took and will send to us.
thank you to him and the whole team!
Priscille Falcao
The team was nice and the staff to participants was good. They were organised and rotated with the groups, but I am very disappointed that when I received the photos there were none of me there. I understood this was part of the package.
For $354 I expected photos and videos.
When I enquired, I was told they don’t offer videos and photos with the dolphins.
False advertising and not good value for money.
I had a lovely experience in two short bursts holding onto the rope but was disappointed with the price and lack of photos and videos of myself.
Also a huge thank you to the staff. Every single one of them is lovely, friendly, positive and clearly adores their job. Truly one of the best run tourism businesses I think I’ve ever seen. Food and drinks were a nice touch. Plenty of swimming time with around 100 dolphins
A day my wife and I will remember forever. Thank you to everyone for making it so memorable






















































