Rockingham Bay wild dolphins swimming tour, Western Australia
| country: | Australia | ||||
| location: | Western Australia | ||||
| departures: | Departures daily from the 1st September to the first weekend in June | ||||
| price: | From AU $205 (1 day) excluding flights
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| more info: | Price includes: Wetsuit, snorkelling equipment, all cruise fees and optional coach transfer from Perth. Hotel transfers from within the Perth CBD can be arranged at an additional $20 per person. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This day tour is about interacting with wild bottlenose dolphins in their environment....
With over 20 years of dolphin experience, friendship and trust we offer guests a unique insight into their lives. You may experience mother’s nursing calves, dolphins hunting on the backs of stingrays, males competing for the attention of females, or even drift amongst groups that are ‘sleeping’. Dolphins are naturally social, playful creatures and we are often lucky to find ourselves at the centre of their antics. There are no tricks, no training and the dolphins are not rewarded with food, we simply spend some time enjoying each other’s company and boast a better than 99% success rate.
You don’t need to be an expert swimmer to join. Wetsuits, snorkelling equipment and snorkelling lessons are included. Guests are divided into small teams led by guides riding aqua scooters which get you amongst the action without disturbing the dolphins.
Best time to go?
The dolphins we visit are territorial so in terms of dolphin behaviour, it is very consistent throughout the year. Some visitors prefer summer when the water is warm others enjoy the smaller groups of visitors in September, October & May (even though the water is cooler, we have hot showers to keep our passengers warm!)
With over 20 years of dolphin experience, friendship and trust we offer guests a unique insight into their lives. You may experience mother’s nursing calves, dolphins hunting on the backs of stingrays, males competing for the attention of females, or even drift amongst groups that are ‘sleeping’. Dolphins are naturally social, playful creatures and we are often lucky to find ourselves at the centre of their antics. There are no tricks, no training and the dolphins are not rewarded with food, we simply spend some time enjoying each other’s company and boast a better than 99% success rate.
You don’t need to be an expert swimmer to join. Wetsuits, snorkelling equipment and snorkelling lessons are included. Guests are divided into small teams led by guides riding aqua scooters which get you amongst the action without disturbing the dolphins.
Best time to go?
The dolphins we visit are territorial so in terms of dolphin behaviour, it is very consistent throughout the year. Some visitors prefer summer when the water is warm others enjoy the smaller groups of visitors in September, October & May (even though the water is cooler, we have hot showers to keep our passengers warm!)
how this holiday makes a difference
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Community
Our company is locally owned and operated. Staff and suppliers are also sourced locally where possible. Part of our licensing conditions is to promote appropriate visitor behaviour within the marine park in which our tours are based. We donate tours to many local charities, schools and community organizations for fundraising. Our key charity that we support is The Sea Shepherd Foundation which spearhead a lot of marine conservation initiatives that are close to our hearts such as the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. Work experience placements are offered to local schools. Left over product from our onsite cafe is donated to a local shelter for women. Environment Our business is eco tourism- we provide an opportunity for visitors to directly experience our local natural environment and interact with local wildlife including dolphins, penguins, sea lions and more which enhances the visitor’s appreciation and understanding of nature. Our interpretation focuses heavily on the wildlife’s natural behaviour, local and international threats facing the species and how visitors can contribute to the solution rather than being part of the problem. Our Swim with Wild Dolphins tour (established 21 years ago) is believed to be the first operation in the world to ever successfully befriend a group of dolphins without the use of food or without taking the dolphins away from their natural habitat. Owner Terry Howson was determined that the dolphins should never be fed, touched or forced to change their natural behaviours. Through patience he developed trust, friendship and learnt how to fit in with the dolphins, rather than trying to force them to fit in with us. Our tours and interpretive material offer guests the opportunity to visit wild animals in their natural habitat, an experience that normally enhances the visitor’s appreciation and understanding of the environment they are visiting. We assist local scientists with data collection and initiated and have implemented a federal government funded project to combat scavenging sea lions and dolphins- a problem that results in increased mortality rates and decreased reproductive success. Our company is accredited with Ecotourism Australia. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |