Hand feeding a wild dolphin is one of the most joyous and memorable experiences on offer at Tangalooma Island Resort. Our wild dolphin feeding program is unique, being one of the only places in the world where it’s possible for people to get up close and personal with these playful mammals.

Each night at sunset, the Tangalooma dolphins swim into the jetty to be hand fed by tourists and visitors alike under the watchful eye of the Tangalooma Marine Education & Conservation Centre’s dolphin care team. The program runs to strict guidelines, and as such there are a few things you need to know before participating.  

The golden rule of the program; under no circumstances can anyone touch the dolphins – the Tangalooma dolphin care team included. Remember, these dolphins are wild and under Queensland law, it is illegal to touch a wild dolphin.

While you are waiting on the beach for your turn to experience the wonder of hand feeding a wild dolphin, there is some preparation required to ensure the safety of the dolphins. Firstly, you are required to wash your hands in an antibacterial solution. This will remove any sunscreen, moisturisers, insect repellents and other lotions harmful to the dolphin’s sensitive skin. It will also ensure any germs and bacteria are washed off, as dolphins are just as susceptible to diseases as humans. Tangalooma also recommends that participants remove any jewellery, watches and any other sharp objects to avoid scratching the dolphins.

Once you’re germ-free, it’s time to pick up their dinner – a yummy, slimy, fresh fish! Keep in mind you need to hold the fish by the tail, with the head pointing to the sky, as the dolphin needs to swallow the fish head first. Your fish should look like you are holding an ice cream in your hand.

Now it’s time to feed the dolphins! Depending on how many dolphins come in that night, and the number of people participating in the dolphin feeding, will determine how many fish you get to feed them. This is because we only feed our dolphins 10-15% of their daily food intake to ensure they are still hunting in the wild and do not become dependant on us.

Make your next family holiday a memorable one and experience the wonder of Tangalooma’s unique wild dolphin feeding program. Or why not shake up the traditional corporate getaway or conference ideal and organise a team building event for your company on our island paradise. Come on over to stay and play at Tangalooma Island Resort and meet Tangalooma’s resident dolphins.

Part two of our day, where were we! Quad bike riding...So, after our quad bike riding, and watching the sunset over the bay whilst up on the hill, we had about 1.5 hours before the dolphin feeding was to begin. So, we decided to try some of the local catch, and ordered fresh seafood from the restaurant that sits right on the beach.

We sat right by the beach, and watched the sun disappear into the ocean, and watched the sky turn these picturesque colours of pink, purple, orange and blue.  The meal, like everything else that day, was fantastic and delectable, and was just what we felt like after an action packed day.

After dinner, we got ready for dolphin feeding, got back into our togs, and waited for the much anticipated dolphins to come into the jetty. There were at least 50 or 60 people watching and waiting in anticipation for the dolphins to arrive.

They took a while, but they eventually came in one by one. We got to feed Nari, a 14 year old Male dolphin, 3 fish. We were informed that Nari unfortunately had a rough start to his life, being attacked by a shark in 2009, so it was good to see that he had since rebounded into a confident, young bachelor. As well as being able to feed the fish, we were able to get some photos with the dolphins as well, which we later purchased.

Once the dolphin feeding had finished, it was time to get back on the barge. It was sad to leave, but we all left in high spirits and with plans to return sometime very soon.

Tangalooma is a place in which everyone needs to experience at some time. This was our first trip over there, and we will definitely be returning for family beach holidays and even for another a day trip or 5.

It was a day to remember, and we have plenty of photos taken by Tangalooma photographers, to remember it by.

Recently, myself and two friends went on a day trip to Tangalooma to experience everything (well at least try to) the island resort has to offer.

The day could not have started off better. The previous few days had been over cast and raining, so we were a bit worried that our much anticipated day trip to Tangalooma would see us looking like drown rats, and walking around the island in the ever so fashionable poncho’s Queensland has to offer. Yet, luckily for us, we woke up to the type of day Queensland is famous for; perfect blue skies, with not a cloud in site.

We got the 10am Tangalooma ferry from Holt street, Pinkenba, over to the Island, hoping to see dolphins, turtles, and whales which are quite often sited within the bay, and had been seen throughout previous days. Unfortunately, we did not see any, yet we did see some of the most clear blue water we had ever seen before.

We arrived at the Island at around 11am, so the trip over was around 1 hour long, and we suddenly thought we were in paradise. The clarity of the water was like no other, you could see fish swimming near the jetty, and all we wanted to do was to jump right in. So, our first activity was of course, something that involved getting mildly wet (depending on who you asked) and getting into the crystal clear water; kayaking. We took the kayaks out for about 1 hour, went on a bit of an exploration, before we just got too tired, and exhausted, as to be honest, we aren’t exactly Olympic kayakers.

After that, we decided to have a complete change of scenery, and head to the scenic Moreton Island desert (and yes an island that is surrounded by water also has a desert). When we arrived there we dabbled in a bit if sand tobogganing, which was exhilarating, and so much fun. Yet, I feel it is important to give everyone who is reading this one important tip – KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED. A few of us failed to do this, and needless to say, we had sand for lunch, and dinner...and dessert. Yet, even though we were covered in sand for the rest of the day, we would definitely do it all again, a little bit of sand is a small price to pay for such a rush.

We were still buzzing from the exhilarating rush we experienced from the sand tobogganing, and had a need for speed, so we then decided to go Quad bike riding. This, once again, is an experience to be had. The tour guide took us up into the hills overlooking Moreton Bay, and the sun was just starting to set over the ocean...I feel like I need to say no more.

Tangalooma is a place in which everyone needs to experience at some time. This was our first trip over there, and we will sure be returning for family beach holidays and even for another a day trip or 5.

Our day at Tangalooma included just too much for this one blog. So, stay tuned for our next “A day in Tangalooma Bay Part 2” Tangalooma blog.

It’s come to that time of year again, where the sun is shining, the humidity is increasing, and the temperature is rising in and outside of the water. So, it’s time to pull out the cosies, and head to the prestigious Queensland coast, in particular Tangalooma Island.

Tangalooma has so much to offer this coming summer, on and off land, such as; whale watching, sand tobogganing, snorkelling and so much more. One of the greatest attractions Tangalooma has to offer is their dolphin feeding. Every day and night a pod of dolphins swims into the bay to be fed by tourists and visitors who come to get up, close and personal with the dolphins.

Dolphins are one of the most friendly, attractive, and playful creatures of the sea, so it’s no wonder that Tangalooma’s dolphin feeding has become a must do for visitors to the island. So, if you’re planning a trip to Tangalooma with friends and/or family, don’t forget to book a dolphin feeding and experience the dolphins like nowhere else.

Yet, before you slip on your cosies, slop on your sunscreen, slap on your hat, and head on over to the dolphin feeding, we’d like to introduce you to our special pod of dolphins that you are likely to meet and feed, so when it’s your turn to meet the dolphins you’ll feel like you already know them.

Tangalooma Dolphins

One of the dolphins that you may be lucky enough to meet is, Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell is the most mature female of the pod, and has been coming to Tangalooma since 1992. She has three dazzling calves, which are also regulars at the island – Tangles, Storm, and Phoenix. So, how to spot Tinkerbell out among the others; she is the largest dolphin in the pod, sleek, is of a light grey colour, and her dorsal fin is almost perfectly curved, much like a cresting wave.

Another one of our dolphins is Echo. Echo first arrived in 1993 by himself, and is not related to any of the other dolphins. He arrived malnourished, and orphaned, so we automatically took him under our wing, and he is now considered part of the family, even if he isn’t related. Echo has some quite distinctive features which make him stand out from the others, such as the large shark bite wound on his dorsal fin. The shape of his fin also makes him easily identifiable, as it is not typically shaped.

Phoenix, daughter of Tinkerbell is another one of our dolphins who comes to Tangalooma. She is one of the youngest dolphins, being born in 2008. She is quite small in size compared to the other dolphins in the pod, making her easily identifiable.

These are only some of the dolphins in Qld that come to Tangalooma Island, there are just too many to name and tell you about in this one blog. So, when you are planning your next trip to Tangalooma Island, be sure to come on over to the dolphin feeding to meet Tinkerbell, Echo, Phoenix and all of the other dolphins, and test your knowledge and try to see if you can identify who each one is!