Dolphin Eco Adventure
Duration:
Operated By:
With over 35 years experience, Blue Dolphin
Marine Tours offers an unbeatable marine
and adventure tour in Queensland aboard a comfortable, multi
award-winning sailing vessel the Blue Dolphin.
Cruise the calm waters of the Great
Sandy Strait and explore the untouched west coast of World Heritage listed
Fraser Island and the pristine Pelican Bank on the Fraser Island Eco Sailing
Adventure.
A morning of adventure awaits with
ample time to swim off the inviting waters of K’gari (Fraser Island) or Pelican Bank,
try out the boom net on the back of the boat as it sails between locations or
test your balance or simply relax on the exclusive Lilly pad.
Blue Dolphin Marine Tours takes guests
to the heart of the dolphin’s playground and with a focus on discovering the
abundant marine life; guests may encounter pods of Bottlenose dolphins,
Australian humpback dolphins, or even dugongs, fish and turtles.
The Dolphin Eco Adventure
is the perfect half day tour to explore the Fraser Coast’s natural environment,
discover the playful marine life and create memories to last a lifetime.
TOUR
FEATURES
Eco friendly, award winning, modern sailing vessel
Lowest
carbon footprintLow
passenger numbersNearly
30 years experience with marine mammalsMorning
tea including tea, coffee and soft drinkExclusive Lilly pad
Boom net
Free Wi-Fi on board so you can instantly share your photos
Plenty of shaded seating
Fully licensed
Suitable for all ages
The morning Dolphin Cruise is on the waters of the Great Sandy Straits by Hervey Bay and K’gari (Fraser Island). Here we look for the bottlenose dolphins (aduncas) and the Australian humpback dolphins (sousa sahulensis), which is a lesser known species. Both of these species reside in small residential pods of up to 20 and are found around Hervey Bay and Fraser Island. The waters are also home to dugongs, turtles, seabirds and other marine life.
Our dolphin watching tours started back in December 1996 and we have maintained a 90% to 95 % success rate for finding the dolphins.
The bottlenose dolphin is the better known of the two species and we now have about 25 individuals we can recognise by their dorsal fin. We have been working on a photo id catalogue for the last couple of years.
The Australian humpback dolphin is a little bit smaller and a little harder to find and photograph them can be a difficult task but can be well worth it. Most guests have never seen this species before so it is always a good day when we see them.
The dugongs of the Great Sandy Straits have been heavily impacted upon in the recent years by floods down the Mary and Susan River systems and the loss of the sea grass beds. On the days that we encounter a dugong it is a great bonus for all on board.
Dolphin Eco Adventure Tour Details
Season: November to July
Times: Departs the marina at 8.30am and returns approx 12.30 hours. Please arrive 15 minutes earlier than departure time.
Location: Berth B5,Great Sandy Straits Marina, Buccaneer Drive, Urangan, Hervey Bay, Queensland, 4655, Australia
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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We saw a number of dolphins as well as a dingo and stingray. And although the dolphins were feeding we were still able to see them jump and entertain us.
The Mate was fun with a great sense of humour. The Captain not so much. He was very serious and appeared to be without a sense of humour. As well, repeating yourself again and again is for children, not adults.
Would have liked to be able to sit on the seats out the front but there wasn't enough room unfortunately. Otherwise a really lovely evening.
Beautiful swimming stop at Pelican island. Thoroughly recommended to anyone visiting Hervey Bay. 👌
The champers kept flowing, the finger food was great, the hosts were amazing ..and it was a fabulous sunset enjoyed by all!
Thank you, guys, for making it so special for us.
I Will & Have recommended The Blue Dolphin to family & friends 🧡 thanks Pete & Co
The service was made very special with Peter, Cassie and Jodi. They were outstanding, friendly, attentive, and made everyone feel relaxed and welcome. They went above and beyond to ensure everyone had a great time.
This was a perfect way to enjoy the sunset and I was able to soak it all in with my family. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a memorable and well organised cruise.
We will definitely be returning, the price was great for what we received.
I highly recommend taking this sunset sail ♥️
Even if there are not as many whales at this time of the year, we managed to see a fair few really up-close, who were really playful. I absolutely loved being in a catamaran vs a bigger boat. This gives you the best view from anywhere, it’s very stable (great option for people with motion sickness), and you are much more connected to the ocean and what’s happening rather than a bigger touristy boat (as I have done before).
And I can’t rave enough about the crew! So friendly, caring, funny, nice… they truly go above and beyond. And they provided snacks and beverages during the whole trip, which was really nice. To be honest, I can’t believe how little you pay for what you get - between the whole day on the catamaran, the crew’s extensive knowledge and service, the food, the drinks, pick up & drop off from your accommodation… I’d do it again in a heartbeat and couldn’t recommend the tour more. Thanks Peter & crew, we’ll be back!
Please note my photos are not representative whatsoever - if only I could upload videos, you’d see how sensational it was and how close we were!
It’s a family-run company that truly stands out from the big tour operators and their massive boats packed with tourists.
The boat is clean, comfortable, and feels very intimate, with a maximum of around 20 people on board, it’s almost like going on a private cruise.
The crew is absolutely outstanding: the captain knows everything about his field, is super approachable, and takes the time to answer all your questions.
The rest of the staff are just as amazing — friendly, caring, and always making sure everyone feels looked after.
Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and snacks are served throughout the day, along with coffee, tea, and other drinks. You literally have nothing to do except relax and watch the whales.
You’re not just going on a tour, you’re living a truly special and unforgettable experience. Don’t miss it!
Speaking of whales, the team shows great respect for the animals: the boat slows down as soon as one is spotted, and thanks to the catamaran, you can get quite close without disturbing them.
A nice bonus: they pick you up directly from your accommodation and drop you back after the trip.
The quality of the service is well worth the price.
Don’t hesitate for a second, choose this small, professional, and genuinely caring company.
Trip on October 14th, 2025. the French
With a maximum of 24 passengers on board, there is plenty of room to move around and find a great spot to watch these beautiful creatures.
Peter’s passion and knowledge, along with Cassie’s friendliness, endless food and snacks, and a full day on the water makes this a great value trip.
I hope to come back one day, earlier in the season, to catch the "muggings", when pods of curious ‘adolescent’ whales apparently swim in close for a look!
Highly recommended (and there were lots of repeat visitors).
This was beyond enjoyable.
Beautiful creatures, boat and day. Couldn’t have asked for better. Will be back for sure. Loved the longer length of this tour and smaller number of passengers. Well looked after on board the entire day. Thanks so much!
We spotted so many whales. This has definitely been a bucket list experience and would absolutely love to go again next time we are in Hervey Bay. We were recommended to use Blue Dolphin by my daughter in law who went seven years ago. We were not disappointed.
Whales everywhere, plus a dugong and dolphins. Highly recommend.
There was a generosity of spirit in everything. The (almost) constant lovely food was very welcome - the staff on board amazing. The captain excellent. The care for the environment amazing.
We lost count of the number of whales we saw. Don't go with any of the gimmicy companies - the quality of the trip was excellent.
As newish residents to Hervey Bay this was our 1st whale watching trip of what we hope will be many more and was far greater than any expectations. During the many times I spoke to Jodi & Kathleen beforehand, not once did they make me feel like a bother and were very approachable and helpful. The day was nothing less than spectacular. We were In great hands with Peter and Cassi and saw so many whales. At one time we had at least 7 surrounding us, swimming up to, around and under the boat for a lengthy time. I wasn’t sure which way to look as it seemed they were everywhere! As everyone was having such a good time and no one had to be back on time, we were out for an hour longer than the tour.
Cassi ensured we were all fed very well. In addition to m/tea, Lunch and a/tea she came around whilst we were watching whales offering multiple snacks, tea & coffee. We were given a complimentary drink with a great lunch spread and also had the option to purchase drinks, chips or chocolates at a fair price (I can’t imagine anyone wanting extra food though!).
A couple of tips - bring a spare battery for your camera! We had a very calm day but if you are concerned about sea sickness and want to purchase KWELLS seasickness pills you should buy them somewhere else or before whale watching season as no chemists had any in stock when I enquired.
I can’t imagine any other tour group being better than blue Dolphin and highly recommend booking a trip with them (have already recommended to so many people) and intend to return ourselves. Thank you so very much Peter, Jodi, Cassi & Kathleen :)
Would definitely recommend this trip, and make sure to ask the crew about recommendations for stuff in the local area. We got the best recommendation on a little bakery by them, and it was amazing (we are European and really needed some great quality bread).
You will for sure have a great time and meet amazing people on this cruise.
Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you have to choose one agency : CHOOSE THIS ONE FOR SURE !!
We went on October (calves season) to see this beautiful humpback whales and we saw almost 5 whales with calves and 2 males singing 🎶
The pilot and the guide were very experienced, professional and passionate. They respect the animal by keeping a safe distance and teaching us a lot about these beautiful whales !🐋
We were only 7 guest on the catamaran, we ate a lot : coffee/tea/biscuits/amazing buffet/again tee coffee and biscuits !
Thank you very much Blue Dolphin Marine tours 🙏🏻
% recommended
The whales came so close to the boat and performed every pose they could. The food was delicious.
If you want a special whale watching day, choose Blue Dilphin, you won't regret it 💙 🐋💖
We suggest you carry a strap for your phone. So many photos to take and you need to hold on to the bar with one hand as it gets choppy. You don't want to lose your phone!


















































