Whether you’re an international visitor or an Australian local, feeding a wild dolphin is bound to be right up there on your bucket list. With all the rules and regulations in place in this day and age to protect the local Australian wildlife (and rightly so) it came as a massive surprise to me that there is still a place where visitors can interact with, and even feed, wild dolphins in South East Queensland. Dolphin feeding Tin Can Bay is well known around the local area and can be found at the amazing Barnacles Dolphin Centre.
How to Get There
Getting to Tin Can Bay for your Dolphin feeding couldn’t be easier by using Google Maps. Simply enter Dolphin Feeding Tin Can Bay into your search and press Directions.
Your route will take you north from the Sunshine Coast until you reach the little town of Gympie. Here, you’ll exit the motorway onto the Gympie Connection Road, and at the T-Intersection with Tin Can Bay Road turn left and settle in for a pleasant drive all the way to the very end of the road at Norman Point.
A couple of tips for your trip and arrival.
- Be careful on your early morning drive out to Tin Can Bay. You will want to be there at the crack of day, and the road from the motorway to Norman Point heads directly East. As such, the morning sun will be directly into your eyes and foggy windscreens become dangerous. Almost as much as the logging trucks heading in the other direction. Take care and drive safely!
- When you arrive at Norman Point, Barnacles Dolphin Centre is located on the left-hand side of the large carpark. Don’t park there! This carpark is shared with the marina and yacht club, and the majority of spots are reserved for cars with boat trailers attached. Instead, head to the right and park in the smaller car spots or even in the grassy areas. Parking officers patrol regularly, especially during busy periods and you don’t want to end a wonderful morning with a fine.
What to expect
Upon arrival, you’ll find the gates to Barnacles Dolphin Centre closed. That’s ok though, as this is just in order to control access and allow the volunteers to get everything set up for the morning feeding.
You’ll want to arrive around 7am or even earlier if you can. On most days there is a line up outside the gate, and getting there early can avoid disappointment. There is never any guarantee of how many dolphins will turn up for the feeding, and as they are wild animals they DO have minds of their own. Feeding of the dolphins is limited to a particular number of fish each, as they don’t want to overfeed them and therefore make them reliant upon human feeding.
A great example of this was the pandemic. During the lockdowns, feedings ceased due to local council rules, and the poor dolphins didn’t understand. They thought they’d done something wrong and began bringing gifts of small plants and roots to shore for the humans, hoping to create contact with their friends once more.
This was heartbreaking for the volunteers at Barnacles Dolphin Centre, and they made petitions of the local authorities to allow limited feedings to start again. Fortunately, they were allowed and the dolphins were ecstatic.
Now, the dolphin feeding at Tin Can Bay is a very popular activity, and even on cold days with dodgy weather there can be a good size line. So, get there early and have the elbows ready because when the gates open, the rule of “first in best dressed” doesn’t apply. Shouldering your way past those rude people that turned up an hour later than you is the only way to keep your place in the line. Trust me! Also trust me when I say that on the day we were there, it didn’t matter if you were first or last to buy a ticket because it didn’t matter come feeding time anyway.
Once you have your tickets, head inside and either find a place to sit at one of the tables near the cafe, or get ready to head down to the beach for a talk by one of the volunteers that will explain everything there is to know about the dolphins you are about to meet.
The Dolphin Talks
As the volunteers are setting up for the feeding which starts around 8am, one or two of the other volunteers will take small groups down onto the small sandy beach to give them a talk about the dolphins. These are informative and will teach you a lot about the beautiful creatures you are about to meet.
Now, it has to be said that even though feeding officially starts at 8am, when we were there recently it was more like 830am, so plan appropriately. Once again, this can be a fluid time as it all depends upon the dolphins, who don’t own watches or smart phones.
The talks are worth attending though, and between your wild push through the gates at 7am and the start of the feedings, most of the crowd will have a chance to get down onto the sand and have their first up close experience with one of the dolphins.
The dolphins that attend the feedings are local and live around the Tin Can Bay area. They are humpback river dolphins and are actually becoming quite rare throughout Australia. So rare in fact that authorities track, name and can immediately identify them by their distinct markings. A little-known fact of this species is that their dorsal fins are unique to each of them, and is the main identifying mark that authorities use. Therefore, if a new dolphin appears in an area it has never been before, they immediately know about it.
Each day at the dolphin feeding different dolphins will turn up. Which ones attend is actually controlled by the pod itself, and it really can be the luck of the draw. On the day we were there, Jo was the main dolphin who turned up early and was the first to arrive and the last to leave. At one point, the pod brought a young calf in to meet us briefly – a rare experience that we were amazed and stunned to witness.
Be aware that to go down onto the sand you will have to remove your shoes and leave them in the cafe area above. So wearing something easy to slip on and off like thongs or sandals is something to think about.
While you’re sitting around and waiting, check out the cafe at the Dolphin Centre. Once you smell the bacon and eggs cooking you probably won’t be able to help yourself at any rate but take it from me – the bacon and egg rolls are amazing!
The Dolphin Feeding
At around 8am or slightly thereafter the dolphin feeding will start. This is strictly controlled by the volunteers, who only allow a small number of people down onto the sand at any given time so as not to spook or overwhelm the dolphins.
What is NOT controlled is the line up for the feeding.
Much like the line at the gate in the morning, you’ll have to be quick of you want to be at the front of the line. It doesn’t matter if you were there at 5am and bought your ticket first. Chances are the newcomer that walked in three minutes ago will jump in the line in front of you anyway.
Jokes on them though, as the feedings are literally over in a flash.
It doesn’t take long to feed a hungry wild animal, and your time on the sand will be measured in seconds rather than minutes. What this means is you have to be ready and prepared if you’re taking a photo of a friend or loved one or else you’ll miss it. The small amount of time doesn’t diminish the experience though and is one of the best value for money activities I’ve personally ever undertaken.
So, back to the line.
Once you have your place in the line, make sure you’ve removed your shoes, worked out with your friends who is feeding and who is the photographer, and shuffle forward until you’re at the head of the line, which honestly takes no time at all.
Here, you’ll get your hands sprayed with disinfectant, so you don’t give any nasty diseases to the dolphins, and when it’s your turn you’ll be directed down onto the sand.
Approach the dolphin that you’re directed to – there can be two or three ready and waiting for a feed – and once in the water a volunteer will hand you a fish. Follow their instructions, pose for a quick photo, and then slowly exit the water so that the next person can take their turn.
And that’s it! Easy peasy.
How Does Dolphin Feeding Tin Can Bay Cost?
This is the good part.
Dolphin Feeding at Barnacles Dolphin Centre only costs $10 per person for entry. Then there is an extra $5 if you want to feed the dolphins.
That’s insane!
Compare that to how much it would cost you to do something similar elsewhere and you’re saving possibly hundreds of dollars, especially for a family. Well worth the drive!
Summary
If you’re looking for a unique activity, something to fill a spot in the holidays, or just a memorable experience, then dolphin feeding Tin Can Bay has to be on your list. It’s easy to find, value for money, and you’ll experience something that you’ll struggle to find anywhere else.
