Baird Bay Experience
Baird Bay Experience
5
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
About
The Baird Bay Experience offers an unrivalled aquatic adventure with wild sea lions and dolphins in the pristine waters of the Eyre Peninsula. Located in the small fishing village of Baird Bay on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia, the region is renowned for its pristine, untouched wilderness, towering ocean cliff faces, abundant wildlife, and rugged natural beauty. This vast, natural playground features ancient landscapes and bountiful seafood, blending adventure with the quiet luxury of Mother Nature at your doorstep. Enrich your visit with a stay in our Seaside Villas, designed as a peaceful retreat amidst the dramatic and rugged coastal environment. Whether you’re here for the day to journey into the spectacular aquatic environment of Baird Bay, trek across the highest point on the Great Australian Bight, or head inland where the red sand of the outback meets the great salt plains of Lake Gairdner, our villas offer a tranquil haven to refresh and reflect on the day’s adventures
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- Sarbella2161Forbes, Australia120 contributionsAmazing experience 2 ticks off the bucket list.This tour was so cool we all had the best time. Wetsuits & snorkel gear provided you just need swimmers & a towel. We went to the seals first and there was heaps of them with baby seals coming out of the pool for the first time as per the guide. We all respected the rules and they came to us. The water was shallow enough in some places but also has a tide pull to it. The seals swan in and out and around you the whole time. Next we found the dolphins after a few tries, there was a pod and they had some babies as well which the mums kept away from us which is what they should do. Some Dolphins came up so close I could easily touch them and I wanted to but didn’t as they are wild and would not want us to I’m sure. The dolphins were in deeper open water but I braved it and did it anyway even though I was a bit nervous about that part. What a great day we had and the price was ok with me because it’s such a bucket list thing to do I don’t care about the cost at all. We are road tripping through SA and this one defiantly one of the high lights of out trip. Guides were nice friendly and looked after us really well. A little out of the way but do yourself a favour and make this tour a part of your plans.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 19 October 2023
- pittwaterstampsNewport, Australia10 contributionsA unique experience to swim with both playful sea lions & inquisitive dolphins at the same time.A wonderful experience not to be missed. I have swum with dolphins around the world many times & swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Is but NEVER have I swum with both at the same time. Excellent check-in service by Kat, terrific boat management, informative commentary & very helpful in-water guide. If you get too cold in the 16C water, simply climb back on board, enjoy a hot Milo & dry out before you go back in. The wetsuits help too.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 20 November 2023
- melissa d18 contributionsBest time everNo words can explain how amazing this was. The experience we had was just awesome. We swam with the seals and the dolphins and had an absolutely wonderful time. The staff were great, friendly and chatty. We were offered bickies and a hot drink when getting out of the chilly water, which you don't feel as they supply wetsuits. All in all it was just brilliant and we will be back to do this again some day.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 12 March 2024
- Sean T11 contributionsExceptional animal experienceExceptional animal experience! We went with 2 daughters aged 12 and 9. My wife stayed on the boat but still loved it. Very well organised and extremely friendly and helpful guides. Great family experience, don’t have to be too confident in the water to do it. The sea lions swam right up to us multiple times and we just floated/ swam next to them.Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 19 April 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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5.0
162 reviews
Excellent
157
Very good
2
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Moses H
3 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
The tour was good, the sea lions were fantastic but we didn’t get to swim with any dolphins which was disappointing (I understand they are wild animals)
The reason I am giving only 3 stars not 5 is because I was a little disappointed with the other parts of the tour for the price that we paid ($220/person)
There was no commentary like you would get on other ocean tours (I would have liked some information about the sea lions and dolphins etc while we were travelling on the boat)
There was NO food provided at all (again, for this price, on other ocean tours, lunch and morning tea would have been provided)
After the tour, there were NO showers, hot or cold which was really disappointing. It meant I needed to be salty until we drove 2.5 hours to Elliston which was very disappointing.
There were also no hot drinks provided on the tour (or after we returned) despite it being so cold.
The wetsuits (3/2mm steamer) they provided kept us warm enough but only barely which meant we couldn’t really enjoy our time in the water (16degrees C) which was again a little disappointing.
The tour also didn’t run with any photographers either so if you wanted to take photos, you needed to take your own.
The tour was also quite short, from departure on the boat to return to shore, it was only approximately 1.5-2hrs which for the price is a little disappointing.
Again, the sea lions were great but for the price you pay for the tour, the remaining services very severely lacking making the overall experience a little disappointing.
The reason I am giving only 3 stars not 5 is because I was a little disappointed with the other parts of the tour for the price that we paid ($220/person)
There was no commentary like you would get on other ocean tours (I would have liked some information about the sea lions and dolphins etc while we were travelling on the boat)
There was NO food provided at all (again, for this price, on other ocean tours, lunch and morning tea would have been provided)
After the tour, there were NO showers, hot or cold which was really disappointing. It meant I needed to be salty until we drove 2.5 hours to Elliston which was very disappointing.
There were also no hot drinks provided on the tour (or after we returned) despite it being so cold.
The wetsuits (3/2mm steamer) they provided kept us warm enough but only barely which meant we couldn’t really enjoy our time in the water (16degrees C) which was again a little disappointing.
The tour also didn’t run with any photographers either so if you wanted to take photos, you needed to take your own.
The tour was also quite short, from departure on the boat to return to shore, it was only approximately 1.5-2hrs which for the price is a little disappointing.
Again, the sea lions were great but for the price you pay for the tour, the remaining services very severely lacking making the overall experience a little disappointing.
Written 13 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lindsay A
Adelaide, Australia38 contributions
Nov 2020
The Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience was just an amazing adventure!! Alan and Mick took us out to the the most awesome sea lions to swim and interact with!! We had just a memorable experience with these animals and they are so inquisitive and friendly and were not afraid to come right up to us to say hello!! We just thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We then went out to swim with the dolphins but they were very skittish and we found it hard to be able to interact with them as they were constantly on the more and the water was a little more choppier than it was with the sea lions, nonetheless we still had a great time with them. Alan and Mick are just fantastic and so caring about these animals and they showed us by their own interaction with them. They are amazing hosts and made sure we were all safe and looked after whilst in the water! Thank you so much gents it was very much appreciated for sure!! This trip I would thoroughly recommend to anyone to do as you will regret it if you don't!!
Written 18 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gecko282
Brisbane, Australia26 contributions
Mar 2022
We felt very brave getting into the very cold water, but were rewarded with some very playful behaviour by the sealions and lots of dolphins swimming past. The skipper was calm, reassuring and did an amazing job negotiating the boat despite low tides, and his offsider was great at spotting the animals. To top it all off, the coastline was truly stunning! We were provided with quality wetsuits and much appreciated hot Milo. For us, a truly once in a lifetime experience!
Written 14 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian L
Melbourne, Australia41 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We took the tour on a surprisingly cold,wet and windy January day however it did not take away from our fantastic experience.
We found our crew Alan and Mick to be very professional,knowledgeable and most importantly a good laugh!
The experience of swimming with the dolphins absolutely blew my mind...I never in my life thought I’d get so close to these amazing creatures.Its no exaggeration to say at one stage there was more than twenty dolphins swimming in amongst our group with us playing and shooting off in all different directions!
Later in the tour we had the chance to swim with the local sea lions which was also a superb experience.
Thank you Alan,Mick and Trish at the office for her recommendations in the local area it was very helpful!
We’ll definitely be back!
We found our crew Alan and Mick to be very professional,knowledgeable and most importantly a good laugh!
The experience of swimming with the dolphins absolutely blew my mind...I never in my life thought I’d get so close to these amazing creatures.Its no exaggeration to say at one stage there was more than twenty dolphins swimming in amongst our group with us playing and shooting off in all different directions!
Later in the tour we had the chance to swim with the local sea lions which was also a superb experience.
Thank you Alan,Mick and Trish at the office for her recommendations in the local area it was very helpful!
We’ll definitely be back!
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GGAdelaide
Greater Adelaide, Australia45 contributions
Feb 2022
Well, what a wonderful experience. We have just returned from this amazing trip. Alan and Jade made the tour even better with their knowledge and assistance with us all. Eight swimmers in our group, each encouraged to participate in the swims. So fortunate to have done this tour.
Written 25 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarbella2161
Forbes, Australia120 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
This tour was so cool we all had the best time. Wetsuits & snorkel gear provided you just need swimmers & a towel. We went to the seals first and there was heaps of them with baby seals coming out of the pool for the first time as per the guide. We all respected the rules and they came to us. The water was shallow enough in some places but also has a tide pull to it. The seals swan in and out and around you the whole time. Next we found the dolphins after a few tries, there was a pod and they had some babies as well which the mums kept away from us which is what they should do. Some Dolphins came up so close I could easily touch them and I wanted to but didn’t as they are wild and would not want us to I’m sure. The dolphins were in deeper open water but I braved it and did it anyway even though I was a bit nervous about that part. What a great day we had and the price was ok with me because it’s such a bucket list thing to do I don’t care about the cost at all. We are road tripping through SA and this one defiantly one of the high lights of out trip. Guides were nice friendly and looked after us really well. A little out of the way but do yourself a favour and make this tour a part of your plans.
Written 19 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle B
2 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
This tour was just amazing . Nature delivered in terms of an abundance of seals and dolphins and we experienced intimate and lengthy encounters with both . However, what was particularly impressive was the deep respect the tour operators have for the ocean environment and its marine life . Their passion and knowledge is second to none . Bring something warm for the return trip . Although the weather was kind the southern ocean is what it is and was a little chilly after a lengthy amount of time in the water .
Written 29 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SophieCS1974
Somerset, Australia8 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
Our family of 5 were lucky enough to go on the Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience and we can not fault it. Swimming with sea lions and dolphins was absolutely amazing. Children are aged 9, 13 and 15 and all had an awesome time. So well organised from booking, wet suits, boat ride out, lots of time in the water and a very welcome hot drink to warm up. Thank you for an unforgettable experience.
Written 18 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Passenger27185890024
1 contribution
Apr 2021
Fabulous experience! A real treat. The seal lions were friendly, curious and fun, and there were plenty of dolphins frolicking by the boat. The sea was big for our trip - too big for small children but OK for older teenagers and adults. Big seas meant that visibility was lower than usual and there were unusual big surges which made it difficult to swim and navigate the bay and stay still for the seals to explore us. Even so, our group had at least an hour playing with the seal lions in shallow water. It was too stormy and murky to get in the water with the dolphins, but they still interacted with us up on the boat - lots of fun. Alan and Mick were great supports on the boat for swimmers of all abilities in this kind of sea, and Trish was really helpful with organising the right day for our trip (given the conditions). Well worth the trip to Baird Bay - thanks so much Alan, Mick and Trish!
Written 14 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1911naomi
Greater Adelaide, Australia33 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
Five Stars. Better then I could imagine. Staff and guides were fantastic and friendly. Had to wait a hit to find seals that were ready to swim but guides were very informative and well worth the wait. My 7 year old son and 93 year old grandma was on this tour and well worth it for all. I will recommend anyone and everyone that comes this way.
Written 4 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the review, I'm pleased that the family had a great time. And thank you to all the others who have taken time to review the tour, word of mouth is what keeps us going.
We get a buzz out of everyone on the boat having a good time, enjoying the marine mammals , and going away with a newfound appreciation the lives these amazing animals lead. And the fact that they have time to spend with us and give us so much pleasure still amazes me to this day. In running this business, we have the best of both worlds, generally happy customers, and an amazing connection with the marine mammals of Baird Bay. Doesn't get any better than this!
Written 5 December 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi do you have gift vouchers available for this experience. If so how long are they valid.
Written 26 June 2019
Alan P
Bairds Bay, Australia
Hi Dale,
We do have vouchers available. We don't have a use by date on our vouchers, they are valid until used and cost does not alter from the date of purchase no matter how long it takes for the voucher to be actually used. The only request that we have is that the voucher must be presented at the office on the tour day that is selected.
Written 26 June 2019
Hi do you close for the winter months we are heading from Brisbane to Perth on July 20
Written 22 June 2019
Alan P
Bairds Bay, Australia
We do close for the winter months of June, July and August. Our tours close from the 1st day of June, our tours begin from the 1st of September.
Written 26 June 2019
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