Tours/Adelaide/Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships Graveyard Kayak Tour
Viator · group up to 12 pax

Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships Graveyard Kayak Tour

4.8(292)Adelaide1 hour
VIATOR4.6(36)TRIPADVISOR4.8(256)

Description

The Kayak Tour explores the Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail, just 30 minutes from the Adelaide CBD. Here you find one of Adelaide's "secret spots", it is an area of surprising beauty. The sheltered mangrove lined creeks are home to a fascinating array of marine life, birds and the Port River Dolphins. The Ship's Graveyard is a unique feature of the area with over 20 "wrecks" to view. All this makes for a sensational adventure and kayaking is the most environmentally sensitive way to explore and interact with the dolphins. Small-groups of no more than 8 people make this a personal experience. Perfect for the whole family, enjoy an up close look at the native wildlife and wrecked ships as your guide tells you tales of this mysterious area.

Tour Options

Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships Graveyard Kayak Tour

Highlights

Professional guide
Kayak, life vest, paddle, paddling jacket(if required)
Waterproof container for camera or valuables.

What's included

Included
Professional guide
Kayak, life vest, paddle, paddling jacket(if required)
Waterproof container for camera or valuables.
Not included
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Traveller Ratings

4.8
292 reviews
5
252
4
26
3
4
2
5
1
5

Important Information

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Minimum age is 8 years
  • Children 12 and under will need to be accompanied in a kayak by an adult
  • Please bring: Insect repellent, drinks, snacks, shoes that can get wet, sunscreen, and your camera
  • As we use sit-in kayaks, we find that people 140kgs+ can have trouble fitting in the kayaks. Please call us with any concerns

Reviews(292)

M
Mayara_G
June 29, 2026
A Must-Do activity if you are visiting Adelaide

It was a beautiful experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's visiting Adelaide. Our guide did mention there was a 60% chance of seeing dolphins, and there was a lot to see besides them, and he wasn't wrong. Kayaking through the mangroves was very peaceful, almost like a movie scene, especially because we encountered dolphins both before and after entering the route, which made it even more magical. Getting to know more about the shipwreck was also interesting, and it was a new way of learning history outside of the museum. Our guide, Jarred, was lovely and very patient. This is a bucket-list activity I didn't know existed, and we're glad to experience it.

J
Jaime_R
May 23, 2026
Fun welcoming environment...

Fun welcoming environment instructor was great and super friendly we did the 3 hour tour which was a bit long for us but still enjoyed it

Y
Y1419OHcarolinet
May 8, 2026
Kayaking at Port Adelaide

Excellent experience kayaking down through the mangroves learning about their ecology and dodge tides before visiting 2 of the ship wrecks in the area. Jazz the guide was extremely knowledgeable.

K
KatheeM7
May 2, 2026
Pleasant and informative kayak paddle

Our guide Lydia was awesome. She was very friendly, knowledgeable and Professional. She made the whole experience so easy. We were a bit disappointed that we had to turn back due to the weather and missed out on the shipwrecks but we felt this was the right decision. Safety was Lydia’s top priority. We would recommend the experience to anyone who wants to see dolphins in the wild and get a kayak workout in too!

S
samneetk
April 23, 2026
Perfect day trip

The experience was awesome. Our tour guide was very patient and helpful. We all had a great time. Thank you so much. We will revisit again 🙂

Operator response

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a great review! We are glad to hear you enjoyed your experience with us and cannot wait to see you again soon!

B
Brent_T
April 5, 2026
Lidia was well versed in...

Lidia was well versed in what she does, very informative. Spotted dolphins 🐬 as well. Got bogged and had to climb out and push kayak lol.

Operator response

Thank you for leaving us a 5-star review! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us and were able to spot some dolphins as well!

C
Connector440870
March 19, 2026
Fun kayak tour backwaters of Adelaide

Great trip with our friendly knowledgeable guide Lydia. Shipwrecks were interesting to see, and really enjoyed the mangrove paddle.

Operator response

Thank you for leaving us a nice review! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Lydia.

R
Rodney H
March 17, 2026
Dolphin and Ship Wreck Experience

We saw dolphins before the tour began so things looked promising before we entered the water. Once we got away we paddled into the wind which surprising it didn’t slow us down. First off we paddled to the shipwrecks which was interesting of the history of how they managed to get there. Only suggestion would be that break the groups to smaller groups up so it’s easier to hear the history explained. Then we headed to the narrow mangroves which was just a little challenging ducking and weaving between the branches. Quite easy to do though. On the way back we saw dolphins playing not far from were we were paddling which was a great experience All in all a good experience and would recommend if you wanted to do something a bit different and have a chance of seeing dolphins in the wild

Operator response

Thank you for leaving us a great review! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed you time at the dolphin sanctuary and appreciate the great feedback!

H
H5039ICannem
March 16, 2026
Thrilling

We thoroughly enjoyed this well organised kayaking adventure. The information and demonstrations prior to us setting out was well thought out and prepared us for the experience. Despite it being quite a windy day the two-man kayak was stable and comfortably manageable on the water. Seeing dolphins is not always guaranteed but we saw a number which came close to our kayaks - we had to stop paddling when they were in close proximity (50 - 100m) and they chose to frolic around us. The ships graveyard exploration was exciting as we had quite a strong wind against tide but it made it all the more thrilling. Most enjoyable.

Operator response

We appreciate you taking the time to leave us such a great detailed review! It is fantastic to hear that you enjoyed your tour with us and were able to spot a few dolphins along the way!

D
Dreams64
March 14, 2026
Great fun kayaking experience

Was a fantastic experience. Beautiful scenery and shipwrecks to paddle through. Lydia was a wonderful guide and is very knowledgeable about the shipwrecks and the general area.

Operator response

Thank you for leaving us a fantastic 5-star review! It is great to hear that you enjoyed your time on the water with Lydia!

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