Where to Go: the 5 Best Brisbane Dolphin Watching Tours

1.Tangalooma Snorkeling Tour & Dolphin Feeding

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 216 reviews · 1 day · from $172Our pick

Spend a full day at Tangalooma Island Resort with a 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane, a guided snorkel at the 15-vessel wreck site, lunch, pools, and sunset dolphin feeding. Guides such as Charlotte, James, Ivy, and Jess have been praised for patient instruction, though snorkel time is limited to about 30 to 35 minutes.

“Overall we had a great trip to Moreton Island! The ferry ran smoothly and there was a member of the team to meet us the other end. Everything was well run and the island itself was beautiful with lots of activities to choose from. The snorkelling was the only negative, which was a shame as there was so much potential. We arrived to the snorkel area on time, but had to wait for around an hour for other people to arrive and get ready. We were split into smaller groups, and unfortunately most of our group couldn't swim! They were screaming for most of the snorkelling time and the guide…”

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2.Tangalooma ATV Quad Bike & Dolphin Feeding

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 145 reviews · 1 day · from $172

Take a 75-minute boat from Brisbane to Tangalooma Island Resort, then spend the day using the pools, beach, cafés, and shaded areas. Your $25 lunch voucher, guided 45-minute ATV ride, and evening wild dolphin feeding are included. Expect a relaxed resort day with one lively burst of sand and bush riding.

“The whole day from start to finish was amazing - the resort island itself is stunning with beautiful views - I booked the ATV and Dolphin feeding - I enjoyed the ATV more than I thought I would as never done it before. Then free time to do what ever you like spent some time by/in the pool and beach - headed for food just before 6 so was able to watch the beautiful sunset. The dolphin feeding is very well organised such an amazing experience make sure to book it as you won’t want to miss this - staff made you feel safe at all times.”

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3.Tangalooma Desert Safari and Dolphin Feeding

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 103 reviews · 1 day · from $162

Sail 75 minutes from Brisbane to Tangalooma Island Resort for a full day of beach time, lunch, sand tobogganing and wild dolphin feeding. You’ll ride a 4WD bus into the dunes, use a $25 lunch voucher and return by ferry after sunset. Bring goggles for the sand and clothes that can get wet.

“The whole day was fantastic. Directions to the terminal were clear. All of the instructions on where to meet for activities were clear. If it did it again, I would bring goggles for the sand activity, as we all ended up with sand in our eyes. We bought the photos, which include all photos that were taken during the day. I would have booked a sunset photo session if I had known that. We booked quad ATVs once we got there, which was really fun. It was a fun day. We loved feeding the dolphins. It was a great experience.”

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4.Tangalooma Snorkelling with Dolphin Viewing

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 63 reviews · 1 day · from $157Best value

Cruise 75 minutes from Brisbane to Tangalooma for guided wreck snorkelling, a $25 lunch voucher, pool and beach time, and a sunset cocktail. Lauren is one named guide from recent outings. The day ends with wild dolphin viewing from the jetty before the evening ferry home.

“Para sailing with my daughters was fun. The smiley yellow parashutte and friendly staff were a great experience. The trip included a lounge access with coffee or tea and spacious seatings made trip comfortable. Cocktail at the bar coupon was a nice one, too.”

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5.Tangalooma Whale Watching & Dolphin Feeding

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 57 reviews · 1 day · from $162

You’ll take a 75-minute ferry from Brisbane to Tangalooma, enjoy resort facilities, then join a three-hour whale-watching cruise with lunch and commentary from Eco Rangers. At sunset, you can hand-feed a wild bottlenose dolphin under strict care guidelines. Allow a long day, and bring clothes that can get wet.

“Moreton Island was a beautiful place. The whale watching was one of the best tours, according to our guide - the whales even swam up to our boat to show off! The dolphins were adorable, too. The feeding only lasted a few seconds, just giving them a fish, but it was such a unique experience to be that close to them.”

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