Dolphin Discovery Centre

A pod of up to 90 dolphins live in Koombana Bay and you can often have a chance encounter when you are swimming, fishing or boating in the bay. Summer is the best time to see the dolphins close to the beach but stay in the bay all year round. There are some great vantage points in Bunbury to see the bay and maybe catch a glimpse of these friendly and extraordinary creatures.

You can visit the Dolphin Discovery Centre that is a centre for study and research into Bottlenose dolphins, their behaviour patterns, eating patterns, population abundance and the environment. The centre is also a place for education and the conservation of our valuable marine environment. They have a variety of activities available from swimming with the dolphins and standing the shallow water to interact them, boat trips to see the dolphins in the bay and a great cafe and gift shop where you can get a great souvenir of your time with the dolphins. The centre is a non-profit organisation and any extra money is diverted back to the centre to continue research and to provide these amazing activities for you to enjoy.

Swimming with dolphins

The centre offers a unique and once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with these wonderful creatures. Our Marine biologist and trained volunteers will take to you a spot with the greatest chance of an encounter. Tours are restricted to a maximum of 18 swimmers with 4 observers and all equipment is supplied from wet suit, flippers, snorkel and mask. All you need are your swimmers, towel, jumper, sunscreen, hat and your camera. The tour lasts around 3 hours sp you can have a great time interacting and watching these playful creatures. The youngest age is 6 years old and you need to be able to tread water and be reasonably fit.

Eco Cruise

Spend over an hour cruising Koombana Bay and watch the dolphins from our specially designed platform. There is commentary so you won't miss any of the action and you will learn about the local dolphins. A maximum of 25 passengers is taken out each time to assure everyone has a chance to see and photograph these cheeky and friendly creatures.

Interaction zone

The shallow water in front of the centre is sued for an exciting interactive area you can share with the dolphins. Up to 10 dolphins regularly come into the shallow water but of course these are wild animals so nothing is set in stone. The best time is between October and April but they do come in all year round. We are able to feed the dolphins but under a strict regime as we don't want to tame the animals. You will stand up to waist deep in the water and regulations don't allow anyone to touch them. The dolphins are recognised by their dorsal fins and the centre has named over 200.

Discovery Centre

Each admission allows you 3 visits to the centre so don't feel you need to cram everything into one day. There is an interactive pool where t you can see and touch a variety of marine life from starfish to sea cucumbers. There are some great short films of the dolphins in the bay and we are not just about dolphins here. We have some turtles we are rehabilitating, octopus and all sorts of shells and marine life to explore.