Wild Dolphin Swim & Curated Southwest Mauritius Experience
Description
Please note: the tour is private, except for the wild dolphin swimming portion. This full-day experience combines Mauritius’ breathtaking marine life with the island’s most spectacular landscapes. Ideal for first-time visitors, couples, families, and nature lovers wanting to experience both the ocean and scenic southwest Mauritius in one unforgettable day. Enjoy hotel pickup and travel in a comfortable vehicle with your friendly driver as you begin the day on the west coast, where you’ll have the opportunity to swim alongside wild dolphins in their natural habitat. Continue to some of Mauritius’ most iconic natural wonders. Take in panoramic views from the crater of the dormant Trou aux Cerfs volcano, visit the sacred lake of Grand Bassin, and admire the lush scenery of Black River Gorges National Park and Alexandra Falls. Next, visit the famous Seven Coloured Earth, with views of the stunning Chamarel Waterfall — the perfect finale to an unforgettable Mauritius adventure.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will start your day with the experience of a lifetime, and one of the most popular activities in Mauritius, swimming with wild dolphins in their natural environment. Once you get on board the speedboat, the professional and qualified skippers will start by briefing you on the important aspects of this experience. You will then head to Tamarin Bay for the dolphin encounter. The skippers will accompany you in the water when it’s your turn to swim with the dolphins. You will enjoy 2.5 hours on the open sea viewing the dolphins and swimming with them. Depending on the amount of time left, you will then go to The Aquarium, a popular snorkelling and diving site with beautiful coral and tropical fish.
After swimming with wild dolphins, your driver will take you to discover the Trou aux Cerf volcano. You will be able to enjoy the 360 degree views from the top of the volcano while taking a stroll around the crater. This dormant volcano stands at around 600m above sea level, and on clear days offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the island.
Drive by the largest reservoir in Mauritius, the Mare-aux-Vacoas, on the way to Grand Bassin, a tranquil and serene crater lake considered sacred by the Hindu population. Discover the Hindu culture by visiting the temples around the lake and enjoy the peace and quiet of the surroundings. You will also be amazed by the tall statue of Shiva and the view from the highest temple. Be sure to watch out for the monkeys and wildlife. Note: It may not be possible to make this stop in the month of February or March as the area is also a pilgrimage site during the festival of Mahashivaratree.
Nature lovers will enjoy the incredible views of the Black River Gorges, the largest national park in Mauritius. Covering an area of 6754 hectares, the park is home to numerous endemic flora and fauna and provides visitors with beautiful hikes, with varying levels of difficulty. During your drive through the park and Plaine des Champagnes, you will also get to stop and admire Alexandra falls and viewpoint, and if they’re in season, like the locals, you’ll want to pick a few goyaves de chine!
Visit the popular Chamarel, the coloured earth site, where in addition to the geological wonders of the seven coloured dunes, you can view the Chamarel Falls, the most famous waterfall in Mauritius! And, make sure you stop by the giant tortoise pens before leaving the park!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up at all hotels, B&Bs, apartments on the island. Please let us know which hotel, B&B or apartment you're staying at. Note that this excursion starts 7:30am on the west coast of the island, so your exact pickup time will depend on where you are staying, but will typically be between 5:30am and 7am. We will let you know your exact pickup time upon booking.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The dolphin portion of this outing is not recommended for pregnant women. All children under 12 years old should be accompanied.
- In almost all cases (90%+) you will see the dolphins. However, if this is not the case, a second outing will be offered on the boat free of charge (transportation to and from your hotel are not included for the second outing). It’s important to note that there will be no refund once you have completed the activity.
- This tour lasts up to eight hours, and you will be able to choose how long you spend at each attraction (except for the dolphin portion). You will be able to stop for lunch but the price of the lunch is not included
- Bring swimwear for the dolphin's portion, and comfortable walking shoes for the rest of the tour
Reviews(185)
Overall, the trip was great, our guide was very informative. With one major exception: the dolphin-swimming excursion. It was disheartening to witness more than 20 boats aggressively chasing the dolphins, followed by crowds of people jumping into the water directly next to them. The dolphins were visibly terrified. This is not eco-tourism or animal welfare—it is outright animal cruelty.
Hi Michelle, thanks for your review and feedback. We're sorry to hear about your experience with the dolphins. We will follow up with the skipper regarding the conditions that day . Please note that swimming with wild dolphins is strictly governed by the Mauritius Tourism Authority (Dolphin and Whale Watching) Regulations under the Mauritius Tourism Authority Act.
The places you visit are very beautiful and the experience with the dolphins is fabulous. The bad thing about our tour is that we were sent only a driver and not in tourist guide. The above demerits the experience as it only took us back and forth, lowered us to take pictures, without even getting out of the car to explain. Places had a lot of important information to share, but we didn't.
Hi, thanks for your review and feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the attractions, and especially swimming with wild dolphins. While our drivers don't accompany guests into the attractions, they do provide background information on the attractions. We will follow up with your driver regarding your feedback. We hope you had a great stay in Mauritius!
Punctual and friendly tourgide Satyadev. Interesting ideas for a varied excursion.
Hi Ralph, thanks so much for your review! We're happy you had a great day, and we hope to see you again soon.
Quick replies from the tour operator . Vinay our driver sent us a WhatsApp message with pick up times. He was courteous and reliable. He was able to answer all our questions and gave us advice on local areas. We did the tour on three separate days which suited us so we could have a rest day in between. A good way to see all of the island.
Hi, thanks for your great review. We're glad you had a great excursion and we hope to see you again soon!
A perfect excursion I advise you. It was warm with beautiful scenery and beautiful places to look
Bonjour, merci pour votre avis ! Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez passé une bonne journée et espérons vous revoir bientôt !
Excursion very complete, in one day you see the most important of the Island. English-speaking San was quite friendly and helpful.
Hi Eva, thanks so much for your review! We're glad you had a great day and we hope to see you again soon!
We had an absolutely amazing tour today with our guide San, whom we booked through Bonjour Mauritius on TripAdvisor. From the very beginning, San was incredibly friendly, patient, and attentive. He not only took us safely and comfortably from one highlight to the next but also shared a lot about the island, its history, culture, and even his own life – which made the day feel especially personal and authentic. Our adventure started with an unforgettable dolphin snorkeling experience! After that, we visited many other incredible spots: breathtaking waterfalls, the colorful Earth of Chamarel, a volcano, impressive statues of Shiva, and stunning viewpoints all over the island. San also took us to a lovely restaurant with delicious Mauritian food – a true insider tip! Throughout the day, San took great care of us and answered all our questions. You could really feel that he is passionate about his work and wants to show his guests the very best of Mauritius. Thank you so much for this amazing day, San! We can highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to discover Mauritius in a special and memorable way.
Hi, thanks so much for your wonderful review! We're happy you had a great day and se hope to see you again on your next visit to Mauritius!
Very nice experience swimming with dolphins and very nice places that you visit later on land. Ideal visit to “rest” from the beach and know different but equally good things about the island. Many local fauna and flora
Hi Iago, thanks so much for your review! We're happy you enjoyed the trip and we hope you had a great stay in Mauritius!
The driver ruined our experience, as he kept on talking about his family problems during the entire drive, he didn’t even explain one single attraction we saw, and when we told him that we would like some quite time he clearly got offended.
Hi, thanks for your feedback, and sorry for your experience. We will follow up with the driver regarding your trip.
Great day swimming with the dolphins and snorkelling followed by seeing around south west of the island with guide San who was informative and helpful.
Hi Rachel, thanks so much for your wonderful review! We're happy you enjoyed the excursion and we hope to see you again soon!
