Moreton Island (Australia): Encountering wild dolphins

The ideal place to feed wild dolphins !

Just talk about Moreton Island to make my eyes shine! This island reminds me so many good memories with wild dolphins that I talk about it again and again, years later. However, Moreton Island isn’t the only one. The beaches are paradisiac, you can also go down the dunes or dive to see the wrecks

Next to the port is the dolphin conservation center, restaurants and swimming pools are nearby. You can walk 1.5km to see the wrecks. And at the end of the day, 1 hour before the feeding time, wild dolphins come to meet us (how do they know it’s time? Clever dolphins!). Yes yes, they are 100% wild. They started to come in 1992. Since then, scientists come here to observe the dolphins’ behavior. The food given to the dolphins is only 20% of their daily food, which forces them to continue to feed differently and remain wild. Furthermore, I would like to point out that swimming with dolphins is strongly discouraged, for their well-being

From afar, they really look like lol sharks but you can recognize them by the noise. Indeed, I will never forget the noise they make when they breathe. They look like children. When they go up to the surface to breathe, there is a hole that opens, and it closes as soon as they dive back down. We all went up on the deck to have a better look at them, waiting for the feeding time. A baby dolphin accompanies its mother

The conservation team notes on a large board the names of the dolphins present every day, I note with concern the absence of a dolphin that has not come for several days. A person reassures me: it happens often! This table is also kept up to date on their website

We are asked to wash our hands to remove any chemicals because dolphin skin is very sensitive. We change clothes. I opted for mini shorts because we won’t have time to wash ourselves before going back to Brisbane and it’s a little bit cool to be in swimsuit

We queue up, 2 by 2 to feed a dolphin. We are given small drinks, that we must put at the height of the dolphin so that it can catch it without making too much effort. The dolphin that I fed is particularly greedy. While we gave him 4 fish, he continues to look for food in my hand. Meanwhile, one of the staff members tells us the story of the dolphin, how old it is, how many years it can live etc. Under the emotion, I have already forgotten everything. We are being photographed, the photo isn’t great despite the efforts of the professional photographer, but it can be found in small format for free on the agency’s website

On the way back, it is very dark, the wind is rising, we are cold, but the moon is there, huge and all round. We return to Brisbane in an indescribable euphoria, because the meeting with such animals is just unforgettable

How to get there

From Brisbane (Holt Street Wharf, in the center of Brisbane), a boat will bring you there in 2 hours (transportation included in the tour price)

Tips

• Plan to sleep at least 2 nights in Brisbane, as central as possible because you leave early and come back late

Budget

• • 1 day tour: $145 per person, lunch included
  • Backpacker Brisbane: $40 double room/day for 2 people

Total: $370 for 2 people, 2 nights

Useful links

• Dolphin feeding cruise” tour, departure from Brisbane : http://www.tangalooma.com/info/day_cruises/dolphin_feeding_cruise/
• All you need to know about the wild dolphins of Moreton island: http: //www.tangalooma.com/info/dolphin_feeding/