Swim with
sea lions & dolphins
Embark on an unrivalled aquatic experience with Wild Sea Lions & Dolphins, in the safe and shallow waters of Baird Bay.
The only place in Australia where you can swim with both wild sea lions and dolphins in a single day.
Located on the pristine Eyre Peninsula – 280km north of Port Lincoln, 50km south of Streaky Bay – Baird Bay offers an ocean experience found nowhere else in the country.
Small groups of maximum 20 guests board our expedition vessel for a half-day adventure in the calm, shallow waters of Baird Bay.
We begin at Jones Island, home to a thriving sea lion colony. As we anchor in chest-deep water, the sea lions come to us – in their time, on their terms. We don’t feed them. We simply join their world. Watch them mimic your movements, dive beneath you, and invite you into their aquatic playground among the protected rockpools.
Then we venture across the bay to swim alongside a pod of wild dolphins – powerful, graceful, and mesmerising in their natural element.
After your swim, return to shore for a hot shower and time to freshen up. Our onsite restaurant offers a two-course seasonal menu featuring freshly caught seafood, local produce, and Eyre Peninsula wines.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime bucket-list experience, suitable for confident swimmers of all ages.
Tours operate October to November. Please read our FAQs for full details including what to bring, fitness requirements and booking conditions.
Times & Rates
Ocean Tours Season
Operating daily between 01 October and 30 April annually.
SEASON ENDING SOON – BOOK NOW!
Tour Departure
9:00am, for a 9:45am departure
During the summer high season, when the morning session is full, we will offer a second tour at 12:45pm, for a 1:30pm departure.
All passengers required to arrive 45 minutes before tour commences for safety briefing and wetsuit, mask and snorkel fitting. Please note the vessel departs on time at 9:45am or 1:30pm sharp.
2025/2026 Rates
Adult Swimming: $290.00
Adult Non-Swimming: $270.00
Child (under 17yrs) Swimming: $200.00
Child (under 17yrs) Non-Swimming: $170.00
2025/2026 Rates – Two Course Lunch Included
Adult Swimming & Lunch: $325.00
Adult Non-Swimming & Lunch: $300.00
Child (under 17yrs) Swimming & Lunch: $220.00
Child (under 17yrs) Non-Swimming: $180.00
Rates vail until 30 September 2026.
Lunch added to booking on the day will be charged at $55.00 per-person for an adult and $20.00 per-child.
Inclusions
- Swim, snorkel and photograph wild sea lions and dolphins in their natural habitat
- Interaction guaranteed
- Wetsuit, mask and snorkel included
- No more than 20 passengers onboard
- Onboard refreshments provided
- Two Course Lunch included for those who have pre-purchased this option
- Hot water shower facilities available
- 4-5 hour tour
LUNCH BY THE BAY
About
JOnes Island
In 1992, the Jones Island sea lion population was thought to be around 25 to 35 adult sea lions with around six pups born. The last approximate count of sea lions took place in late 2024, which found the population had grown significantly with 32 pup births recorded. With Australian sea lions classed as endangered, it’s pleasing to see the colony thrive with Jones Island playing a unique role as one of the few colonies around Australia where pup counts have continuously risen over the last decade.
There has never been official count of the dolphins in Baird Bay, so numbers are only based on observation. First sightings put the numbers at around four with only occasional sightings and no calves being seen at all in the bay until 1998. An approximate count was conducted in 2020 and recorded around 25 in the resident pod of dolphins with at least four calves being born each year in Baird Bay. More recently the team has seen up to 70 dolphins in the bay with two calves born in early 2025 alone.
As an ECO Certified Tourism business, Baird Bay Experience works closely with the Department for Environment and Water, and its regional counterparts, to monitor the local marine population and ensure the health and well-being of the inhabitants of Baird Bay.