Feeding Wild Dolphins at Tin Can Bay, Australia

This should be something on every visitor to Australia’s bucket list; hand feeding wild dolphins at Tin Can Bay in Queensland.

---

One of my most memorable experiences road tripping Australia was right here in Queensland; hand feeding wild dolphins at Tin Can Bay! There aren’t many places in the world that you would be able to do this and so, without doubt, this has to be added to your Australian bucket list.

Tin Can Bay is a small town on the East Coast of Australia situated just below the southern tip of Fraser Island, 96km north of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast and 220km north of Brisbane. Whilst Fraser Island and perhaps Rainbow Beach steal the limelight, it’s not every day you get to feed wild dolphins though at Tin Can Bay you can actually do that. Yes, I mean every single day.

A pod of 9 Australia Humpback dolphins head to the Barnacle Dolphin Centre at the marina in Tin Can Bay each and every day for approximately 8am. They are wild animals of course so they might not always be the best timekeepers! The Australian Humpback dolphins live in the river and estuaries rather than out at sea and are said to be quite shy. It’s incredible then that you can actually hand feed wild dolphins at Tin Can Bay!

---

ADD TO YOUR BUCKET LIST: FEEDING WILD DOLPHINS AT TIN CAN BAY

---

As I said above, you’re going to have to have an early start to feed these dolphins. Head to Barnacles Dolphin Centre at the marina for around 7am to get a good parking space and ensure that you’re in the group that gets in the water!

There is a fee of just $10 per person which includes one fish that you hand feed to one of the dolphins. It’s not an experience that lasts long but is certainly one that you will remember forever. It was great to listen to the volunteers introducing each of the dolphins; they are all clearly passionate about running the Barnacles Dolphin Centre and ensuring that we all get to experience hand feeding wild dolphins!

There are some rules obviously – no touching the dolphins as this is prohibited by law and you can get fined up to $8,000, don’t use flash photography and just follow all of the volunteers’ instructions as you can’t go wrong then.

If you have time beforehand or afterwards, perhaps before you continue your journey, make sure you stop by the Barnacles Café for a bite to eat and a coffee or a tea. The café is open from 7am to 3pm every day.

Should You Visit Tin Can Bay?

Well, yes, if you fancy doing something so unique and extremely rare whilst visiting this region of Australia. It’s not that much of a detour from the main road at all especially if you factor in a trip to Rainbow Beach. My wife and I still talk about our visit to Tin Can Bay to feed wild dolphins and I’d love to take our daughter when she’s older too; it’s a once in a lifetime experience for sure!

Where to Visit Near Tin Can Bay?

I’m guessing that the majority of visitors to Tin Can Bay and this region of Australia will be on a road trip from Sydney to Cairns (or vice-versa). I mentioned above that there are some great places to visit not far from Tin Can Bay including the beautiful Fraser Island and Rainbow Beach followed by Maryborough (the birthplace of the creator of Mary Poppins), Bundaberg and Noosa.

---

WHERE NEXT?

Ok, let’s be honest, it’s taken me long enough to find the time to publish guides covering my time in Australia. Now though, the majority of them are linked below, so wherever you’re heading you’re likely to find what you need below!

VISITING PEAK HILL GOLD MINE IN NEW SOUTH WALES
HOW TO SPEND 24 HOURS IN CANBERRA
7 BRILLIANT THINGS TO DO IN YOUNG, NEW SOUTH WALES
5 INCREDIBLE THINGS TO DO IN RAINBOW BEACH, QUEENSLAND
6 AMAZING THINGS TO DO IN BOWEN, QUEENSLAND
8 BEST THINGS TO DO IN KIAMA, NEW SOUTH WALES
AN EPIC ROAD TRIP ALONG WATERFALL WAY IN NEW SOUTH WALES
MY INCREDIBLE 5 DAY GOLD COAST ITINERARY
7 GREAT THINGS TO DO ON MAGNETIC ISLAND, QUEENSLAND
7 AMAZING THINGS TO DO IN TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND
THE MOST BREATHTAKING THINGS TO DO AT ULURU
THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN NOOSA, QUEENSLAND
8 WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN JERVIS BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES
40 INCREDIBLE PHOTO SPOTS IN MELBOURNE
A GUIDE TO VISITING THE DEVIL’S MARBLES IN AUSTRALIA
A GUIDE TO THE GOLD COAST HINTERLAND
9 WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO IN BYRON BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES
WHERE TO FIND WILD CASSOWARIES IN AUSTRALIA
KANGAROOS ON THE BEACH AT CAPE HILLSBOROUGH
7 THINGS TO DO IN COWRA, NEW SOUTH WALES
A RIDE ABOARD THE KURANDA SCENIC RAILWAY IN CAIRNS
A VISITOR’S GUIDE TO PORT STEPHENS IN NEW SOUTH WALES
MY GUIDE TO EXPLORING MOSSMAN GORGE, QUEENSLAND
WALLAMAN FALLS, QUEENSLAND: THE TALLEST WATERFALL IN AUSTRALIA
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE WATERFALLS IN AUSTRALIA
16 INCREDIBLE THINGS TO DO IN SYDNEY
A WEEKEND IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

---

---

READ MORE FROM MY ADVENTURES IN AUSTRALIA BELOW

IF YOU ENJOYED ‘FEEDING WILD DOLPHINS AT TIN CAN BAY, QUEENSLAND’ WHY NOT PIN THE IMAGES BELOW?

Please note that some links across this blog are affiliate links.
If you go onto purchase something through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If you enjoy what you’ve seen, you can buy me a coffee or a beer here.