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Dolphin Sanctuary Kayak Tour Adelaide

Badge of ExcellenceAdelaide, Australia

3 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get active while enjoying the great outdoors and spotting wildlife on this kayaking tour to the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Paddle through ancient mangrove forests and keep a lookout for the dolphins that pass through. Learn about the animals and their habitat from your naturalist guide. No kayaking experience is necessary and the pace will be slow but moderate fitness is recommended.

Receive personalized attention on a small-group tour
Kayaking gear, including life jackets, is included
A waterproof bag is provided to keep your valuables dry
The tour lasts for about three hours

What's Included

Kayak, Life jacket and Paddle
Waterproof bag

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Angas Inlet Boat Club
LOT 204 Garden Island Rd, Port Adelaide SA 5015, Australia
10 minute drive from central Port Adelaide and it is essential to arrive 15 minutes prior to tour start time.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Port Adelaide (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Not recommended for travelers with shoulder problems
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Susan_M

Loved paddling up the creek, the Mangroves are beautiful and it was very peaceful. Our guide, Noah, was very interesting and informative. He was also incredibly helpful and patient. My fellow paddler and I were not skilful and needed extra help which he provided happily.

Reviews

5.0

211 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 211 reviews

Amazing!

Abrar_A, Apr 2024

It was a nice experience, I thought it was going to be scary but it was totally the opposite! didn't get to see the dolphins tho

Adventurous and fun, but really think about whether you want to do it.

Navaneeth_S, Apr 2024

It was a good experience on the Kayak tour, and we were lucky enough to spot a dolphin as well! However, there are a few things we would like other travellers to know about the tour: - Although it says slow-paced, the pace really depends on the group you are with. Apart from us and another couple, everyone else had done kayaking before, and hence the tour automatically became much more fast-paced than we expected. We were always lagging behind trying to get the hang of it and catch up. However, our guide was super friendly and helpful and came back for us twice. - You will get wet. Apart from the things they ask you to bring, it might be a good idea to pack a change of clothes as well. While getting in the kayak, you have to step into the water first and your feet/shoes will get wet. While kayaking, the water does splash from the paddles onto your lap and face a lot. So even if you don't capsize, you will definitely get wet. - Even though the tour is in the morning, we recommend not making any reservations or commitments for the rest of the day, as you will very likely be too tired and too wet to do anything else except go back home. - If it's your first time, and you don't do water sports much, reconsider if you will enjoy the kayak tour. It was our first time, one of us has been swimming since childhood but apart from that we are not very active in the water. Our arms were really sore, we had salt water all over us and sand/salt (we couldn't really tell) sticking to our face by the end of it. We did enjoy it though, but we were in quite a hassle afterwards trying to get clean and fix our sore arms.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your review we are glad that overall you enjoyed your adventurous kayak with us. It really does depend on water conditions and paddling technique whether your arms and clothes will get wet.

Great trip!

Charlotte_H, Mar 2024

Both myself and my friend thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The staff were really helpful the equipment was good. We had a bit of a bumpy start where we had to leave our group and join another one. Once we joined Paddy's group it was great! We were delighted to see a juvenile dolphin 🐬

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you so much for your review, we very much appreciate it. We are so glad you enjoyed your kayak experience with Paddy and we hope to see you again someday in the future.

Must Do Dolphins Family Experience

Rebecca_O, Mar 2024

Unbelievable experience. Paddy our guide took us everywhere - wrecks, up hidden estuaries and would not stop until we saw dolphins. He was so knowledgeable! Highly recommended this experience as a great family experience. Must do!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you so much for your lovely review Rebecca, we very much appreciate it. We are so glad you had an unbelievable kayak experience with Paddy and we hope to see you again someday in the future.

Amazing dolphins swam up...

Melissa_M, Mar 2024

Amazing dolphins swam up so close and Fiona the guide was awesome, so glad we did this it was the best time, highly recommended

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks so much for your 5 star review and recommendation Melissa, we very much appreciate it. so glad you had an amazing kayak tour with Fiona.

The tour was a great way...

Alex_W, Mar 2024

The tour was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, Michal our tour guide was informative and gave us clear instructions. Navigating the mangroves was a lot of fun 😊

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your 5 star review, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad to hear you had a great tour with Mitchel. Kind regards DSKT

My highlight of the trip to Adelaide

Nicole_B, Mar 2024

Lucked out and had great weather, saw dolphins before even getting in the kayak. And more throughout the time on water. Our guide was imaginative and answered all our questions. I would 10/10 recommend anyone to go. Also I would very much love to go again. I went solo, and was paired in a tandem kayak with another solo traveller. It was super inclusive. There were people of all ages in this tour. Even if no dolphins were seen, there's a beautiful mangrove to kayak through and the water was very serene and calm. I definitely recommend using the big spray they supply.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your lovely review and recommendation Nicole, we very much appreciate it. We are thrilled to hear your kayak tour with us was a highlight of your Adelaide trip and we hope to see you again some day in the future. Kind regards DSKT

Glorious adventure

Kiera_L, Mar 2024

I loved kayaking through the mangrove creeks and Lewis the guide was terrific he clearly loves the environment …

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your 5 star review Kiera, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad you loved your kayak tour with Lewis. Kind regards DSKT

Wonderful tour

Cathy_W, Mar 2024

Alex was a great guide. The kayaks are tandem, which made paddling easier. The water was war and the Sanctuary is lovely. We saw a couple of pods of dolphins. The paddle through the mangroves was peaceful and magical.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your 5 star review Cathy , we very much appreciate it and we are so glad to hear you had a great tour with Alex. Kind regards DSKT

once in a lifetime experience watching dolphins

Ian_W, Mar 2024

We saw many dolphins and enjoyed kayaking through the mangroves. Weather was perfect and it was a very tranquil day.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your 5 star review Ian, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad to hear you enjoyed your kayak tour with us. Kind regards DSKT

Great experience

Carla_L, Mar 2024

Loved the experience, saw a mum and calf dolphin and enjoyed kayaking through the mangroves. Also very informative.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your 5 star review Carla, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad you loved your kayak tour with us and you got to see a mum and calf - always a special experience, even for us. Kind regards DSKT

A must do

Amy_B, Mar 2024

Amazing experience, Paddy our tour guide was exceptional with great information and assistance when needed, highly recommend anyone to do this, saw a Dolphin swim past our kayak, the information about the dolphins and the mangroves was very knowledgeable.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your 5 star review Amy, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad to hear you had an amazing kayak tour with Paddy Kind regards DSKT

Excellent tour, but things don't always go according to plan

Patrick_S, Mar 2024

It's been mentioned in other reviews, but I want to start my review by saying that the dolphins in this sanctuary are wild animals that can hold their breath for minutes at a time and that also spend a good amount of time away from the sanctuary. There is zero guarantee you will see any dolphins on this tour, and your tour may consist of kayaking around a wetlands sanctuary that consists of a questionable-smelling mangrove swamp at low tide, some shipwrecks, brackish muddy saltwater, and no dolphins. If you're okay with that, then I'd highly recommend the tour to you. If not, I still think it's worth the risk since seeing the dolphins is a really awesome experience. We had an excellent guide, Johnno, who guided us around the sanctuary and provided us with some great information and details about the history and biology of the sanctuary. The kayaks were all two person affairs ("divorce kayaks", as one tour member called them), so don't expect to get a single-seater on the tour. The kayaking was pretty easy overall, with a few challenging moments, and we had a number of first-timers in the group who didn't have much trouble. We also lucked out by seeing dolphins immediately after paddling for a few minutes, and then seeing more dolphins later in the tour. The photos came out fantastically, so no complaints here. One final addendum to our review. The sanctuary is about a 25-30 minute drive from Adelaide CBD. We found a rideshare to and from the sanctuary without much trouble, but the sanctuary is tucked away among massive warehouses and port buildings. This is an easy tour to recommend if you have a car, but don't be surprised if your rideshare driver doesn't immediately show up after booking. Overall, I highly recommend this trip, as long as you're good with a bit of mud and muck and you also understand the dolphins might not cooperate with your plans.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your informative 5 star review, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad to hear you enjoyed your kayak tour with Jonno. thank you also for acknowledging and understanding that these are wild dolphins and we don't always get to see them, but that doesn't mean they are not around it just means we don't spot them. Kind regards DSKT

A Perfect Experience

Lyn_S, Mar 2024

So fantastic!! Great experience, lots of dolphins, beautiful scenery, great knowledge shared by our guide Jamila, highly recommended to anyone, and a great way to spend my birthday!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your 5 star review Lyn, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad to hear you had a fantastic tour with Jamilla. Kind regards DSKT

Kayaking with Dolphins

Jacky_P, Feb 2024

Paddy and Mitchell gave us a lovely morning out on the water. We were lucky enough to see quite a few dolphins who were either sleeping, foraging or hunting. Even saw a mum with her calf. The kayaking through the mangroves and visiting the shipwrecks was a great experience too. Both the guys were informative and attentive. Thank you both for a fun time.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your lovely review, we very much appreciate it. We are so glad you had a lovely morning kayaking with Paddy and Mitchell and you got to see some dolphins.

Enjoyable time on the ocean

Jane_T, Feb 2024

It was a very pleasant morning paddling amongst the mangroves. Our guide was good but it was hard to hear sometimes what he was saying as we were all spread out most of time. We know it is something that can not be controlled but it was unfortunate that we didn’t see any dolphins I would still recommend the experience though - specially when you see your surroundings at first your destination becomes a a bit of a surprise

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thanks so much for your review Jane, we very much appreciate it. We are so glad you enjoyed your kayak experience overall and unfortunate the dolphins did not show themselves. We hope to see you again some day in the future.

Fun Kayak Outing

Eric_K, Feb 2024

We enjoyed seeing the dolphins in the morning, including the mother with her baby. It was nice going up the side creek amongst the mangroves too. Jimela was a helpful guide, noting interesting facts about the area, flora and fauna.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thanks so much for your review Eric, we are so glad you had a fun kayak with Jamilla and got to see a mum and bub dolphin (always a special experience, even for us). We hope to see you again someday in the future. Kind regards DSKT

Great kayaking exercise in calm waters near Adelaide CBD

Slava_G, Feb 2024

Paddling under the mangrove trees was truly unique experience. Unfortunately we haven't seen any dolphins or other animals except birds and mosquitos lol.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you so much for your review, we very much appreciate it and glad you had a great kayak experience, even though the dolphins did not show themselves. Kind regards DSKT

Great tour to do in the Adelaide area

Philip_S, Feb 2024

This was a fun and interesting tour. We saw a bunch of dolphins right at the beginning, which was awesome. Then we took a trip up the creek to see the mangrove forest, very serene and beautiful. Paddy was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and patient, and he answered all of our questions. Definitely recommend!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you so much for your five star review Philip, we very much appreciate it and we are so glad you had a great kayak experience with Paddy . thank you also for your recommendation and we hope to see you again someday in the future. Kind regards DSKT

Mangroves, dolphins and shipwrecks

ged1002, Feb 2024

Had the best time on a 3.5hr dolphin kayaking experience with my friend whilst visiting his family in Adelaide. Our tour guide was really knowledgeable, telling us all about the local wildlife on the banks and in the mangroves and took great care of the group at all times. We spotted a mother dolphin and her baby up close, about 15 feet from mine and my friends kayak which we were super lucky to see! We also went out to the shipwrecks around the other side of the bay, which was a nice added surprise. I wasn't very good at kayaking and I am sure I was more of a hinderance than a help to my friend but had a really enjoyable time nonetheless. If you are looking for something a little different to the usual tourist trips - I can highly recommend this experience.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you so much for your five star review , we very much appreciate you taking time to post this. We are so pleased you and your family had a great kayak experience with us. thank you also for your recommendation and we hope to see you again someday in the future. Kind regards DSKT

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