Dolphin-Watching Cruise: Spot Wild Bottlenose Dolphins

Enjoy a 1.5-hour afternoon dolphin-watching cruise that takes you directly to the best spots for sightings of wild bottlenose dolphins. Learn about the playful creatures from your onboard guide and enjoy fantastic views of the Tomaree and Yacaaba headlands as well. Bring your swim gear as there are opportunities to take a dip or ride in the boom net.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Moonshadow-TQC Cruises Boarding - Please present your ticket, which was emailed and texted to you directly by Moonshadow-TQC, upon arrival at our vessel, Moonshadow V. Our welcoming crew will be ready to greet you and help with the boarding process.

Enjoy our 1.5-hour Dolphin Discovery Cruise, and return to the same dock from which you departed.

What's Included
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Boom-net Rides
What's Not Included
  • The listed price does not include parking fee applicable along with waterfront
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Transportation to/from attractions
  • Towels & swimming costume for use in the boom-net
  • Lunch
Additional Information
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Due to the nature of this tour and the safety of all guests, the tour operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or show signs of intoxication. If, as a result, your tour is canceled, you will not be entitled to a refund.
  • Please note we do not run on…
Location
Moonshadow-TQC Cruises Boarding
Boarding commences 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure time. To avoid the risk of missing the cruise during peak times; please allow extra time to find parking etc, we do suggest that you aim at arriving to the marina 30 - 45 minutes prior to boarding time of your cruise.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(415 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
O3182hkrobertd
Jan 29, 2026
Great experience - Great time had by all. Beautiful day on the water at Port Stephens. Well run cruise with great commentary from the skipper and lots of dolphins to photograph. The ride in the net on the way back was great fun for the kids.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leer898
Jan 24, 2026
Amazing trip - Amazing amount of dolphins. Staff are fabulous and helpful and interactive. Great day. Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ali_g
Jan 9, 2026
Must try! - Awesome day out. Very informative and so much fun for the whole family. Overall great staff and great experience. Will be doing again
Review provided by Viator
Kelly_g
Jan 8, 2026
Unforgettable memories forever - Stunning scenery,knowledgeable crew dolphins are beautiful in there natural habitats ,it was a bucket list day for me and it was everything I wanted it to be.
Review provided by Viator
Racheljj1390pl
Jan 8, 2026
Wonderful dolphin trip - We had a wonderful experience we saw dolphins we had a lovely drink at our expense the crew were great and good value for an hr and a half.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Halah2026
Jan 5, 2026
Thank you for this day - It was a nice and enjoyable experience my child had lots of fun it was a good experience. Thank you for the great service we had a good day
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Drifonta
Jan 3, 2026
Boat trip to see dolphins - We took a boat trip in Nelson Bay to see the dolphins. After about 15 minutes of travel, they already showed up.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michaeldz7543tm
Dec 30, 2025
Family adventure - Great experience. Went at the 10:30 cruise time. Saw several dolphins at different locations. The crew was informative and allowed all to see from different sides of the boat. The ride back using the boom net was also a great experience for our kids. The price was very reasonable for the experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jingl466
Dec 30, 2025
Nice tour and good services - Great services and we are lucky enough to see lots of dolphins! Food needs to pay but are also with good qualities. Very suitable for family and good timing for young kids (1.5h)!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
912noelv
Jan 25, 2026
Misinformation on Admission fee - Admission fee as advertised were quite misleading. I made the booking in Australia so I obviously assumed the prices were in AUD $. Only found out it was in US$ when I checked my credit card account. Very clever!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $32
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).