Polperro Dolphin and Seal Swim, Sorrento

Polperro Dolphin Swims runs boat trips from Sorrento Pier on the Mornington Peninsula out into Port Phillip Bay to find wild bottlenose dolphins and, seasonally, Australian fur seals, offering the choice of swimming with the animals in the water or staying on deck to observe and photograph them. Swimming requires reasonable water confidence and basic swimming ability, since participants enter open bay water wearing a wetsuit and hold onto a tow rope trailed behind the slow-moving boat rather than swimming freely; there is no strict age limit for observers, but swimmers are generally expected to be able-bodied and comfortable in open water, with young children usually better suited to observing from the boat. The operator provides a wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and fins for swimmers, along with a full safety briefing on boat procedures and how to enter and exit the water; no personal equipment needs to be brought beyond a swimsuit worn under the wetsuit. Crew brief all passengers, swimmers and observers alike, on locating marine mammals respectfully and keeping a safe distance, in line with Victorian regulations on approaching wild dolphins and seals, and the skipper carries standard marine safety and first aid equipment for the trip. Polperro has operated wildlife swim tours out of Sorrento for several decades and works under a permit system that limits the number of boats and swimmers around dolphin pods at any one time to reduce disturbance to the animals. Because dolphins and seals are wild and not guaranteed to appear, trips run seasonally with the best sighting chances and warmest water for swimming between October and May; cooler months still run sightseeing trips, but with a wetsuit swim in Port Phillip Bay considerably colder and less comfortable. Trips can be affected by strong wind or swell in the bay, which the skipper monitors before departure and may adjust the route or cancel the trip if conditions are unsafe.