Dolphin Sanctuary Kayak Tour Adelaide

Recommended by 94% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Adelaide, Australia

Popular pick

Booked 10+ times last week!

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Paul_R ·

Feb 2026

Excellent few hours on the kayaks...the water was very calm and tranquil and our guides Alex and Kevin were excellent, their local knowledge was brilliant...we all learned a lot about the local area and wildlife. We saw numerous dolphins which were jumping out of the water close up. We were also shown shipwrecks and told all about the history. Excellent morning. Highly recommended.

· Marlene_M ·

Mar 2026

Fun and easy kayaking experience. We were able to see some dolphins and explore mangroves. Mark, our guide, did an excellent job sharing the history of the location, information about the vegetation , sea life and wildlife. We were a small group and we had a lot of fun.

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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
Skilled and professional guide
Private facilities with shaded area with seating and toilets
Filtered fresh water for top ups
Sun screen
Private locked car parking area
It is essential you arrive 15 minutes prior to start time.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Angas Inlet Boat Club
LOT 204 Garden Island Rd, Garden Island 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.

Itinerary

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

Essential: Arrival time is 15 minutes prior to start time
Children 10-15 years of age must be in a kayak with a parent/adult and must be able to paddle
Children under 10 are not permitted to participate
Not recommended for travelers with shoulder problems
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Debrajoan_S

Great exercise and a beautiful place to kayak. The mangroves were really healthy and so good to see and the Dolphins were gorgeous. We got to see around 7 or 8 as we paddled around the area with a great guide

Reviews

4.7

based on 389 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great experience

Pengfei_X, May 2026

A wonderful experience for being so close to the animals! The guide was very professional and considerate for everyone. We had a great time!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re really glad you had such a great experience being close to the wildlife and enjoyed your time out on the water. 🐬 It’s great to hear your guide made the tour feel professional, considerate, and enjoyable for everyone. Thanks again for joining us and we hope to see you back on the water again soon! 🛶

Took our son for his...

Jane_B, Apr 2026

Took our son for his birthday. Loved it was fabulous. We saw a dolphin so added bonus. And the guides Liam and Mark were great and very knowledgeable.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you chose to celebrate your son’s birthday with us, what a special way to mark the day 🎉 It’s great to hear you enjoyed the experience and even got a bonus dolphin sighting 🐬. Liam and Mark will really appreciate your kind words about their knowledge and guiding. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back on the water again soon! 🛶

Fun way to spend a few hours.

Sean_T, Apr 2026

Was a nice experience even though no dolphin spottings were made during our tour. Lots of cool marshes and even some shipwrecks to see. My only tip would be to try and go with a friend. I booked solo and was paired up with the son of a family doing the tour. Sadly he wasn’t interested at all in paddling, so I ended up carrying an extra person around which was a bit of a downer. That aside I would have given the tour 5 stars.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much for your review! We’re really glad you enjoyed the marshes and shipwrecks, and that you still had a great overall experience out on the water. 😊 Dolphins are always a special highlight when they appear, but as they are wild animals, sightings can vary from day to day. We’re sorry to hear your paddling pairing wasn’t ideal on the day, that’s not the experience we aim for, and we appreciate you sharing that feedback as it helps us improve how we manage mixed groups. We’re grateful for your kind words and hope to see you back for another paddle in the future! 🚣‍♂️🌿

Might not be what you expect

Gosia_M, Apr 2026

It was a nice calm day on the water but not what I expected. What the description does not say is that it is not guaranteed you will see dolphins (we saw only one for a split of a minute and possible only for some kayaks due to no-move policy around animals). So if dolphins are your main reason for going, think twice. Another issue was that the guide did not have a mic that connects to the visitors. This meant that while being spread while kayaking, most of the time you could not hear what he was describing or explaining. You just miss out on the interesting stuff. Finally, while the photos show several shipwrecks, we only visited two closest wrecks (there was no kayaking through the arched metal wreck as per photos). Overall a poor reflection of what’s been advertised.

Response from Host, May 2026

Hi Simone, thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the calm conditions on the water, but we’re sorry the experience didn’t fully meet your expectations. Dolphin sightings are never guaranteed as we are visiting wild animals in their natural habitat, and while we do sometimes have close encounters, they can be brief and vary from tour to tour. We appreciate this wasn’t made clear enough and will review how we communicate these so expectations are better set up front. We also hear your point about the guide not having a microphone. We understand how important it is to be able to clearly hear commentary while spread out on the water, and we’ll look into ways to improve audio clarity during tours. Regarding the shipwrecks, water conditions and group safety determine which sites we’re able to access on the day, and this can sometimes mean we’re unable to visit all advertised features or kayak through certain sections. That said, we understand how this could feel disappointing if it differed from what was expected. We appreciate your honest feedback as it helps us improve the experience for future guests. If you’d be open to it, we’d also be happy to discuss your experience further directly.

Wonderful Dolphin Kayak Experience

Debrajoan_S, Apr 2026

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re glad you enjoyed the exercise and the chance to explore such a beautiful area! The healthy mangroves really are something special 🌿 Seeing 7 or 8 dolphins while paddling is amazing 🐬, and we’re thrilled you had such a great experience with your guide. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back on the water again soon! 🛶

Paddy and Mark our guides had a lot of interesting facts and saw the dolphins quicker than we did, what a lovely day

Anne_D, Apr 2026

Well run and a beautiful trip, managed to see the dolphins, clean toilet facilities such a great experience

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re glad you enjoyed the experience and got to see the dolphins, always a special highlight 🐬 It’s great to hear everything felt well run and comfortable for you. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back on the water again soon! 🛶

Get up close with dolphins

Rachel_S, Apr 2026

Although it was drzzling on and off, we had a pleasant day on the water and saw many dolphins fishing and playing with some coming up to investigate our kayaks. Paddy did a great job telling us about the dolphins, the mangroves and the shipwrecks.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much for your lovely review! We’re really glad you still had a pleasant day on the water despite the drizzly weather, and it sounds like you had some incredible dolphin encounters, always special to see them fishing and playing so close! 🐬 We’re also thrilled to hear Paddy made the experience informative and enjoyable while sharing insights about the dolphins, mangroves, and shipwrecks. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to him. We’d love to welcome you back for another paddle in the future!

Our guide Liam was...

Michelle_F, Mar 2026

Our guide Liam was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed today’s experience and would happily do it again, we’d definitely request to be in Liam’s group.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had such a great experience and enjoyed your time on the water. We’d be more than happy to have you back in his group again next time! 🛶🐬

Enjoyable activity

Julia_Y, Mar 2026

Beautiful, peaceful place. Liam is a great guide. Saw a few dolphins. Definitely recommend and worth it.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the beautiful, peaceful surroundings and had a great time out on the water. Seeing dolphins is always a special bonus 🐬 Liam will really appreciate your kind words. Thanks for the recommendation, and we hope to see you back again soon! 🛶

Amazing experience

Sam_F, Mar 2026

Really enjoyed our morning kayaking at Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. The guides (Mark and Liam) were really friendly and welcoming as well as being very knowledgeable about the area and dolphins. Liked going through the mangroves, learning about wildlife and then seeing two dolphins who were swimming and diving around the harbour. Would definitely recommend this as an activity to do, and would do it again when we next visit. Thank you so much.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your morning out at the Dolphin Sanctuary, paddling through the mangroves, learning about the wildlife, and then spotting dolphins really does make for a special experience 🐬🌿 Thanks for the recommendation and we’d love to welcome you back for another paddle next time you’re in Adelaide! 🛶

Very pleasant morning...

Andrew_S, Mar 2026

Very pleasant morning activity - saw dolphins and took an interesting paddle up a creek into the mangroves

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your review! We’re glad you had a very pleasant morning on the water. Seeing dolphins and paddling up into the mangrove creek really does make for a special experience. 🐬🌿 Hope to see you back out on the water again soon! 🛶

Fun nature kayak experience

Marlene_M, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re glad you had a fun and easy kayaking experience and enjoyed exploring the mangroves and spotting dolphins along the way. 🐬🌿 It’s great to hear Mark’s knowledge of the history, vegetation, and wildlife added to the experience. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back on the water again soon! 🛶

Fantastic activity tour not to be missed!

DAVID_W, Mar 2026

This tour gave us a fantastic break from the city centre of Adelaide - following an approx 12 mile uber journey, we arrived at the Dolphin Sanctuary in perfect sunshine. Located in such a quiet and unspoilt area, it was a mini paradise. Our tour guides on the day were Liam and Paddy - following a super quick check in, we were given life jackets and waterproof bags (for small valuables) and following a short briefing and safety guide we were off! It was optional to keep shoes / trainers on as there was a short sandy walk to the mainly double kayaks. We were super lucky to spot some dolphins swimming around close by during which time we gave them some space in their environment. The water was tidal, the depth of which varied as there were some sand banks about and a creek which was easily navigated. We’d suggest you need a level of confidence in the kayaks but certainly no previous experience is required - just a sense of adventure. Liam and Paddy were fabulous guides - friendly and very knowledgeable which included the ships graveyard and surrounding nature. We would do this again and would very much recommend this to others. A holiday highlight for sure!!!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your incredible review! We’re thrilled the tour was such a fantastic break from the city and that you got to experience the sanctuary in perfect sunshine. It’s great to hear you found everything smooth from check-in through to getting out on the water, and that the guidance helped you feel confident and comfortable. We’re especially glad you were lucky enough to spot dolphins and enjoy that experience respectfully in their natural environment 🐬 Thank you for the recommendation and for calling it a holiday highlight, that means a lot to us! We’d absolutely love to welcome you back for another paddle someday 🛶✨

Family Fun

Donna_L, Feb 2026

We had a great morning at the Dolphin Sanctuary. Our guide, Paddy, was very knowledgeable about both the history and science of the sanctuary. The water was like glass. The kayaks are tandem so not an exhausting workout. We did see dolphins!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had a great morning at the Dolphin Sanctuary and enjoyed the calm, glass-like waters. It’s wonderful to hear that Paddy’s knowledge of the history and science added to the experience, and how lucky that you got to see dolphins! 🐬 We hope to welcome you back for another relaxing paddle soon! 🛶

Mark the leader of the...

Robin_D, Feb 2026

Mark the leader of the group was informative. Monitored the group adjusted as conditions changed. Got to see some interesting scenery wildlife and even shipwrecks.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour with Mark and appreciated his guidance and adaptability as conditions changed. Exploring the scenery, wildlife, and shipwrecks really does make for a memorable day on the water. 🐬🌿 We hope to see you back on the water again soon! 🛶

When you want some wildlife but you're stuck in the city

Keith_W, Feb 2026

This was a fantastic experience. The dolphin sanctuary is a very peaceful, idyllic wilderness area. Our guides, Alex and Liam, were incredibly knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife and were also excited to share it with us. Most of the people traveled in sit-in tandem kayaks, but my brother and I got sit-on singles as we're both bigger guys (6'2"and 6'8" and 350 pounds each). We got lucky and saw all kinds of dolphins. They were quite curious about us and swam around us for minutes at a time. This was the best thing we've done on our visit to Adelaide. Very highly recommended!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled you had such a fantastic experience at the Dolphin Sanctuary as it really is a peaceful and special place to explore. Seeing curious dolphins swim around your kayaks for minutes at a time sounds incredible 🐬, and we’re glad you had the perfect setup with the sit-on singles to make it comfortable. Alex and Liam will be delighted to hear your kind words about their knowledge and enthusiasm. Thanks for the high recommendation, and we’d love to welcome you back for another memorable paddle next time you’re in Adelaide! 🛶🌿

Still a must to try at SA

JorgeDerick_D, Feb 2026

It's a very organised tour, however dolphins are kind a rare to see during our experience. Still a must to try adventures at SA

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your review! We’re really glad you found the tour well organized and enjoyed the experience overall, and we love that you’d still recommend it as a must-do in SA! Dolphins are always a special bonus, but as they are wild animals, sightings can vary from day to day and aren’t something we guarantee. We’re glad you still had a great adventure on the water and hope to see you again in the future! 🐬🌿

Excellent morning out kayaking

Paul_R, Feb 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled you had such an excellent and tranquil morning out on the water. Seeing dolphins jumping close by, exploring the shipwrecks, and learning about the local area really does make for a special experience. 🐬 Thanks for the recommendation, and we hope to see you back on the water again soon! 🛶

Great way to see the dolphins

Melanie_W, Jan 2026

Organized crew with getting everyone set up and out on the kayaks. Our guide, Brayden was safety conscious, friendly and knowledgeable. All the traits one wants in a guide for this kind of tour. This tour is great for kayaks of any level. And the location offered so many things to see and explore.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for the fantastic feedback! We’re really glad you enjoyed the tour and felt well looked after from setup to time on the water. It’s great to hear you found the tour suitable for all experience levels and loved how much there is to see and explore in the sanctuary. We’d love to have you paddle with us again sometime! 🛶🐬

Big groups and slow progress

M_H, Jan 2026

Was a very big groups of people for the 9am tour - had to break us into groups of about 14. As a result it took ages for briefings etc and we didn’t get started on the water until after 9:30. The tide was going out so no dolphins. They also make no effort to sort groups by ability so you have to go at the pace of the slowest kayak, which meant a lot of hanging around waiting at various points.

A fun experience!

Abbie_C, Jan 2026

A great experience, Alex was a fab guide - really informative and fun! Sadly didn’t see any dolphins but obviously that is totally out of their control. Kayaking through the mangroves was enjoyable, just wish we had seen some more of the shipwrecks!

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks so much for your review! We’re thrilled you enjoyed kayaking through the mangroves. Dolphins can be tricky to spot, but we love that you still had a great experience. Shipwrecks can be a difficult area to explore, and we must approach it in the best weather conditions and competent group skill level so for this we are not always able to go. Thank you so much for your feedback and we’d love to welcome you back for another adventure!

Our guide Alex was great....

Sarah_K, Jan 2026

Our guide Alex was great. We had a lovely experience, unfortunately no dolphins for us, but the other group were lucky.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks so much for your review! We’re thrilled to hear you had a lovely experience. Dolphins can be a bit shy sometimes, but we’re glad you still enjoyed paddling through the mangroves and sanctuary areas. We hope to see you back for another adventure, maybe next time the dolphins will make an appearance! 🐬

No dolphins but good views

Courteney_M, Jan 2026

Didn’t see any dolphins - they aren’t a guarantee. Would be great if the website gave the rough odds of seeing dolphins as it turned out to be an expensive kayaking tour. Otherwise was well organised and lovely views. Paddling was mostly easy but at one point the wind picked up quite a bit along with the current and it felt as though we were going backwards. We went on 40 degree day and it was fine being out on the water so don’t be discouraged by a hot day.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for your review — we’re pleased to hear you enjoyed your kayak tour with us. While it’s unfortunate that you didn’t encounter dolphins on the day, they are totally wild dolphins that are free to come and go from the sanctuary at any time and sometimes we don't spot them as they are just in different areas of sanctuary. Kind regards DSKT

We saw dolphins right...

Chantel_H, Jan 2026

We saw dolphins right away. It was great weather, easy and fun. Alex was a great guide with great jokes.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks so much for your review! We’re glad you had a fun and easy day on the water, with dolphins making an early appearance. Sounds like a memorable experience! Hope to see you back out kayaking again soon! 🛶🐬

Great family outing!

Marilize_D, Jan 2026

Great experience with older kids and as a family! Didn't see any dolphins but still enjoyed it tremendously.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks so much for your review! We’re glad you and your family had a great time on the water, even without dolphin sightings this time. It’s a fantastic experience for older kids, and we’re happy you enjoyed it so much. Hope to see you again soon! 🛶🐬

Alex is the best guide

Richard_D, Dec 2025

123456789021234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345alex is the besr1234567890

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you so much for your 5 star review!

Family Fun.

Kathryn_D, Dec 2025

Great family activity. We saw a mother and her calf. Make sure you use the insect spray for the mangroves.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thanks so much for your review! We’re glad you had a great family outing and got to see a mother and her calf, always a special sight! Great tip on the insect spray for the mangroves! We hope to see you back out on the water soon. 🐬🛶

We had a wonderful time...

Katrina_G, Dec 2025

We had a wonderful time doing this unique experience. We’ve connected several times before. But never with dolphins! We were able to see two dolphins, swim right amongst our kayaks and watch them move in and out of the water as they slowly made their way away from our group. We then kayak to two different shipwrecks and then floated amongst the mangrove trees. Highly recommend this activity for folks visiting Adelaide.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thanks so much for your review! We’re thrilled you had such a wonderful time and got to see dolphins swimming right among your kayaks, such a special experience. Exploring the shipwrecks and gliding through the mangroves makes for a truly memorable day. Thanks for the recommendation and we hope to see you back on the water soon! 🐬🛶

Great kayaking activity

Dyana_G, Dec 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This experience was absolutely fantastic! I did this tour as a mum with my child, and we both had the best time. Paddy and Callie were amazing from start to finish. Paddy was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much interesting information along the way, which really added to the experience. Callie was awesome; she made sure everyone was able to keep up and was so supportive throughout. She even kindly guided our kayak through some of the trickier parts, which made us feel safe and confident the whole time. The tour was well organised, fun, and perfect for families. We felt well looked after and truly enjoyed every moment. We will definitely be doing this again and highly recommend it to anyone considering it!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thanks so much for your review! We’re thrilled you felt safe and supported, and your child had such a fantastic time on the tour. Exploring the mangroves, spotting wildlife makes for such special memories. We really appreciate your recommendation and can’t wait to see you back on the water again! 🐬🛶

Happy kayaker

Sandra_D, Nov 2025

This was a great experience. Alex our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. As you kayaked through mangroves make sure you wear mosquitoes repellent

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you so much for your 5 star review Sandra, we very much appreciate it. So glad you enjoyed your tour with Alex, despite the mosquitoes which are usually worse after a bit rain. We hope to see you again some day in the future.