January 3, 2026 — 5:00am

It was 2016, and I was staying at a luxury hotel in Mauritius when one of the local experiences caught my eye – swimming with wild dolphins. It sounded great, so I signed up and, early the next morning, a small boat took my partner and me on the short journey to the local bay where the animals resided.

But upon arrival, I was dismayed to see the bay crowded with dozens of other boats, all packed with tourists aiming to do the same thing we were. What followed was a disturbing experience where the boats would locate the pod, rush to get ahead of it and the tourists would jump in the water, en masse, and attempt to get close. Then they would all climb back into the boats, overtake the dolphins again and the same thing was repeated. It wasn’t pleasant for me or, as far as I could tell, for the dolphins.

Boarding the boat in Rockingham, near Perth.Tourism Australia

Back in Australia, I’ve decided to give dolphin swimming another shot. This time it’s going to be different. I’m in Perth and heading to Shoalwater Bay at Rockingham, about 45 minutes south of the city. Here just one operator, Perth Wildlife Encounters, is licensed to run dolphin swims.

It’s a bright, sunny morning as I join a group of other visitors heading down the nearby jetty, where our transport awaits for our 8am departure.

Perth Wildlife Encounters’ story begins in 1989, when founder Terry Howson, at just 23, became interested in Rockingham’s local pod, swimming with them off his family’s small boat. Over time, the dolphins grew more interested in Howson, and eventually he began sharing his experience with others. Since then, the business has won numerous tourism awards and grown to include other wildlife experiences in the area.

Ready to enter the water.Tourism Australia

We float in two groups, towed by guides using aqua scooters.

But the main attraction remains the dolphins. Soon we’re on board, fitted with wetsuits and receiving a briefing. Though there’s no guarantee we’ll find the dolphins, our guide, Jackson, is confident they’re here, somewhere. They live in a “fission-fusion” society, we’re told, meaning pod structures are not permanent – groups separate, merge, and then separate again regularly.

It doesn’t take long before a small pod is spotted. But after closely observing them through binoculars, Jackson determines they’re feeding and doesn’t want to disturb them. Already the contrast with my previous swim experience is apparent.

The key, we’re told, is not to chase them, but for the dolphins to come to us. The animals make the choice. Sure enough, a few minutes later, another pod is spotted and some break away, heading towards our boat.

We’re split into four groups, colour-coded by the straps on our wetsuits. Within each group, we’re given a number that determines the order we’ll get in the water. To keep the situation controlled, we’re instructed to hold on to the strap of the person in front and simply float. The leader of our group, one of the crew, will use an aqua scooter to tow us along in a chain.