Our Story,
Where The Wild Leads
Dolphin Swim Australia was created with a simple belief: if people are going to experience dolphins, it should be done with respect.
No feeding.
No chasing.
No performances.
Just the wild ocean, and the possibility of a genuine connection.
In Port Stephens, home to one of Australia’s most playful populations of bottlenose dolphins, that belief became a reality.
How It All Began
Dolphin Swim Australia was founded in 2010 by Andrew Parker, born not from a business idea, but from a belief in the healing power of the wild.
After years of studying the behaviour of wild dolphins in the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park, Andrew originally designed the swim as a dolphin-assisted therapy program for children with autism, a way for them to experience connection, calm, and wonder in the open ocean.
What began as therapy became something broader, an experience open to anyone willing to meet the wild with respect. The goal was never to create a tourist attraction. It was to create a moment of genuine connection between humans and dolphins, on the dolphins’ own terms.
Through research, collaboration with marine scientists, and rigorous government oversight, Dolphin Swim Australia became the only permitted wild dolphin swim in New South Wales.
This permission isn’t just a licence, it’s a responsibility, one we honour every single day.
Our philosophy has always been simple: let the wild lead.
That principle doesn’t just apply to the swim — it runs through everything we do, including our dolphin watch.
For guests who prefer to stay dry, the watch offers something just as profound. These are oceanic dolphins, rarely encountered by humans, and far more curious and interactive than the coastal dolphins you might glimpse from shore. Because they don’t see people often, they approach on their own terms — surfing the bow wave, circling the vessel, performing for no one but themselves. The result is an encounter that feels just as wild, just as unscripted, and just as moving.
Whether you enter the water or watch from the deck, the experience belongs to the dolphins. We simply make space for it to happen.
Port Stephens,
A Place Like No Other
Just 2.5 hours from Sydney, Port Stephens is one of Australia’s most biodiverse marine environments. Its calm bays, deep channels, and thriving ecosystems make it the perfect home for wild dolphins, and the perfect place for a world-class wildlife encounter.
The region’s natural beauty amplifies the emotional impact of the swim. It’s a place where people slow down, breathe deeper, and reconnect with the ocean.
A Story Still Being Written
Every swim, every guest, every moment in the water adds to the story of Dolphin Swim Australia.
A story of respect, wonder, and connection, and a reminder that the wild still has the power to move us.