Mauritius Swim with Dolphins Tour Guide

About the Tour

Together with Mauritius South West and North day trips, swimming with Dolphins is one of the most popular day tours in Mauritius. It takes place in the area between Tamarin Bay, Black River mouth and Ile aux Benitiers, the island situated to the north of Le Morne. Each morning, the charismatic bottlenose and spinner dolphins enter these waters for a swim, while flocks of tourists come from Tamarin and River Noire to join them. If your tour doesn’t offer a hotel pickup to one of these locations, you’ll have to book a taxi driver to get you there. It should cost about 3.000 Rs / 60 € / 70 $.

Within 6 to 7 hours you’ll get to enjoy a company of pods of dolphins, BBQ on Ile aux Benitiers, the iconic crystal rock, maybe some snorkeling, wonderful views of Mauritius coast and Le Morne. Usually, the tour starts early and it does not provide breakfast, thus you have to take care of it yourself.

Tour Details

• Starting location: Tamarin Bay
• Species: Spinner & Bottleneck Dolphins
• Breakfast: Not Included
• Lunch: BBQ and drinks
• Departure: 9:15 AM
• Duration: 6-7 h
• Price: from 53 Eur / pax
• Tour booking: Book Mauritius Dolphins Tour
• Cancellation: Up to 24 hours FREE

Mauritius Map

Swimming with Dolphins

The main part of the tour will go not as you expect. All I can say without spoiling too much is that, generally, there are two species of dolphins, which come to the coast of Mauritius near Tamarin and Black River bays. The bigger species of the two are the famous bottleneck dolphins and the other one – spinner dolphins. These charismatic animals have this name because when they jump out of the water, they tend to spin. We were lucky to see both species, and even spinner dolphins doing their thing. Of all the people who jumped into the water, I believe, I was the only one unable to see them. The crew did their job and otherwise wouldn’t leave the dolphins until everyone is satisfied.

Spoiler alert: The whole process of how it is done is another topic, but since these majestic mammals keep coming back every day – I hope they are not bothered too much. Just have in mind, that you’ll not be going to have time to befriend them, this is a very popular tour and many people come here. Most importantly – be responsible. Some tourists try to touch the dolphins or annoy them in other ways. This joyful opportunity to swim with dolphins had turned into a cat and mouse game, which is changing the behaviour of dolphins. They no longer come to the lagoons of Mauritius to socialize and reproduce but rather to be chased away by people. In short – the majestic animals are exploited by many tour companies, so choose the operator carefully.

Snorkeling

I’m not sure if every tour stops for snorkeling but ours did. I imagine we did so because we had some spare time before coming to Ile aux Benitiers. The snorkeling spot is somewhere close to the mouth of Black River. It was nothing extraordinary, compared to other spots in the lagoon further from the coast, but still worth the time. Don’t expect to see many corals but you’ll see some stationary lifeforms. As for fish, there were quite a few colourful ones. Some of them I have never seen before.

Crystal Rock

This is probably the most awkward part of the tour, I won’t comment about the size of the rock but it looks less impressive than in the pictures. You need a sweet spot of combined angle and the right light to make the amazing pictures. Instead, your skipper will go around the crystal rock, which is surrounded by a bunch of boats doing the same. A good thing is that it is right next to Ile aux Benitiers so it won’t take much of your time.

Ile aux Benitiers

Located on the jaw-dropping southwest coast of Mauritius, Ile aux Benitiers provide mesmerising views in all directions. At the first sight, it looks like there is nothing special about the island itself, but Ile aux Benitiers is actually something like an island shopping mall. Throughout the day, hundreds of tourists come to this island for their BBQ lunch or sightseeing and the locals make use of it. Without mentioning all the souvenir shops, you’ll be able to find coconut cocktails, sea urchins and even oysters. Consume at your own risk.

In the local Creole language, Ile aux Benitiers means the Island of Blessing. Together with Le Morne Brabant, it is the dominant landmark in the area. The island has long and sandy idyllic beaches, perfect for a quick swim. I didn’t try snorkeling from the coast, so I’m not sure if it is a good place for it. There are a lot of boats parked by the beach. Generally, I don’t like snorkeling on the beaches like this.

Swim with Dolphins Packing List

• Swimming costume – for obvious reasons.
• Snorkeling mask – at least during the pandemic, it is required to bring your own mask.
• Water shoes – required if you want to swim in Ile aux Benitiers.
• Sun cream – to protect you from the mean tropical sun.
• Hat – for the same reason as above, just be sure not to lose on the speed boat.
• Towel – as it is recommended by the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – a towel is the most universal thing you can carry with yourself.
• Sunglasses – sometimes it is impossible to see a thing without proper sunglasses.
• Freshwater – bring some to rehydrate yourself and maybe a bit to clean your face after snorkeling.

Personal Experience

Even having all the caveats in mind, I have to say that I still enjoyed Mauritius Swim with Dolphins tour. Maybe not for its very sought highlights but rather for the overall atmosphere and the setting of the tour. Southwest of Mauritius could be the most beautiful area on the island. It is surrounded by extraordinary mountains, from whom several rivers flow into the ocean through beautiful gorges, mixing saline and freshwater. It wouldn’t surprise me that this is the reason why dolphins come here. You get to enjoy the panoramic views of the southwest from the moment you board the boat.

In case you do not enjoy spending much time on a boat, you can try to combine swimming with dolphins tour with Grand Bassin, Trou aux Cerfs dormant volcano and 7-coloured earths at Chamarel. If you are not living on this side of the island, Mauritius Swim with Dolphins tour is a great way to visit the area and these majestic mammals at the same time.