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
Categories:
Share:
Jodie organised a pickup from our accomodation doorstep and was so pleasant to chat with! Cannot fault them, if you're after doing whale watching 🌊💙
The whales made themselves known which is always exciting - we never get tired of just sitting quietly and watch them. We also like the way the day is never rushed and if the whales are active there's no rush to get back to the marina
Thanks again
Every day was a different experience.. We were treated to muggings, tails, spy hops and breaches to playful baby whales jumping and showing off right beside us!
The day was perfectly paced, with a delicious lunch and plenty of food to keep everyone going. Lunch was late on a couple of the days - hard to get people to come and eat when the humpbacks are nosing around the boat!! Cruising the bay on a catamaran was such a highlight — sails up, just enjoying the peace and quiet while watching the whales.
The best part... passing the boats finishing their half-day trips, knowing we still had hours left on the water to hang out with the whales!
Amazing crew, incredible whales, plenty of space, great food and unforgettable whale encounters. Couldn’t recommend the Blue Dolphin highly enough!
Not every whale trip is this magical. We had wonderfully engaged whales, dolphins drop in and a rainbow to cap it off. Definitely recommend Blue Dolphin for a smaller boat/less people/more intimate experience with the whales. Skipper Pete and Silky were wonderful hosts, food was great and it was a fabulous day out.
The morning tea, buffet lunch and afternoon tea hit the spot, just right for a day out on the ocean.
The boat was clean and well kept.
Will do this again next year for sure.
Thanks Peter and crew for such a great outing.
What an absolutely incredible experience with Blue Dolphin Whale Watching in Hervey Bay! From start to finish, the entire day was exceptional. The crew were welcoming, knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about the whales and making sure everyone onboard had the best possible experience.
And the whales absolutely delivered! 🐋 We had unbelievably close encounters, with curious humpbacks spending so much time around the boat, swimming underneath us, looking directly at passengers and putting on an incredible show. It felt less like we were watching the whales and more like they were watching us!
The boat is fantastic, with plenty of space and great viewing angles, and the whole experience felt relaxed rather than rushed.
Hervey Bay certainly deserves its reputation as one of the world's great whale watching destinations, and Blue Dolphin made this a day I will genuinely never forget.
Best day ever. If you're coming to Hervey Bay during whale season, put this experience at the top of your list! 🐋💙🌊
We were treated to the most incredible whale encounters, one after another Peter expertly guided us to pod after pod for a day that will last in our memories for a very long time.
The food was plentiful and delicious, the boat was so tidy, safe and roomy, access and views from every angle and had smaller numbers meaning we could all get such good views and up close to the beautiful whales!
We will be back next year! Thank you for a wonderful day out! Nichole and Ross
Simply Superb!
Would recommend
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).

























































