Monkey Mia Marine Reserve

Top choice in West Coast Australia


It's hard not to smile as Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins start arriving for a breakfast snack. Note that during feedings, visitors are restricted to the edge of the water, and only a lucky few people per session are selected to wade in and help feed the dolphins. The pier makes a good vantage point for it all. Rangers talk you through the history of the dolphin encounters.

The first feed is around 7.45am, though dolphins don't turn up like clockwork. They commonly come a second or third time until around noon (and the crowds are usually lighter for these later sessions). The dolphins may spend the day close to the beachfront, too.

You can volunteer to work full time with the dolphins for between four and 14 days – it's popular, so apply several months in advance and specify availability dates, though sometimes there are last-minute openings. Contact the volunteer coordinator.