Dolphins in Port Phillip Bay

Join an expedition to swim alongside playful dolphins or seals, or take a Port Phillip Bay cruise and watch as the frisky mammals frolic by your boat.

Watch from the shores of Port Phillip Bay for a glimpse of dolphins that you won't see anywhere else, including bottlenose dolphins and the common variety. Get a closer look on or in the water as you join a cruise run by a specially licensed operator. Look out for dolphins hitching a ride on the bow wave as you cross between Sorrento and Queenscliff on the Sorrento Car And Passenger Ferry. 

Swim with the dolphins
Join local tour operators on a dolphin-watching cruise, donning snorkels and wetsuits to dive in among the friendly mammals. The half-day tours run from October to April, when sightings are more prevalent. 

Make sure you book a tour with a licensed operator that follows the strict guidelines implemented to protect the dolphins, which are vulnerable to extinction. There are currently approximately 150 bottlenose dolphins living in the bay. 

Splash with the seals
You'll also get to spend time with the bay's colony of Australian fur seals, which loll around at Chinaman's Hat and are happy to share their watery world.