Dolphin trips · GIBRALTAR
Good gibraltar dolphin tours sail early and fill up weeks ahead. Below: the 15 to book first, what each includes and how they differ.
Travel by air-conditioned coach from Málaga or the Costa del Sol to Gibraltar, cross the border with your original passport or ID, enjoy free time in town, then join a 90-minute boat trip to spot up to three dolphin species where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic.
“the activity was watching the dolphin and it was nice to see them in the nature playing”
Cruise the Strait of Gibraltar for 75 minutes aboard the catamaran Dolphin Adventurer. Guides such as Eric, Nico, Trevor, and Shane share facts in English, Spanish, or German while you watch common, striped, and bottlenose dolphins near the boat, with Spain, Africa, and the Pillars of Hercules in view.
“This was a gift from my daughter. I loved it! The guide was friendly and knowledgeable and the crew were welcoming. I felt safe on board and enjoyed the ride on the calm waters, almost as much as, I was fasinated by seeing the dolphins 🐬. It was a delightful thing to do while in Gibraltar and I'd fully recommend it to anyone visiting the rock.”
Join Dolphin Adventure for a 75-minute wild dolphin safari from Ocean Village. An on-board marine biologist explains dolphin behavior while the crew searches the Bay of Gibraltar. Guides including Nicholas, Nico, and Guillermo help you spot pods, with views of Gibraltar, Spain, North Africa, and the airport runway.
“Fun experience! Crew/staff had us on board and on our way 25 minutes before scheduled start time (and same 25 early on cruise end). We saw plenty of dolphins, one species that has a population constantly living in the bay.”
Join Dolphin Safari at Marina Bay for a one-hour cruise in a 40-foot power boat, limited to 15 people. Your crew searches for wild dolphins while sharing facts about the strait, with views toward Gibraltar, Spain, and Morocco when weather allows.
“Our first trip was ruined by bad weather, despite the company ringing us and suggesting we took an earlier trip. We took there advice, but the weather wasn’t playing ball. After a dolphinless trip the captain endorsed our tickets so we could go in another trip for free. The sRead more”
Start at Marina Bay for a 75-minute dolphin cruise with a marine guide and live commentary. Then collect your cable car voucher and ride to the Rock of Gibraltar at your own pace. Look for Barbary macaques, Spain, Morocco, and sweeping Strait views.
“So much fun! We saw so many dolphins. Unfortunately there was major clouds and a very long wait for the cable car”
From Turmares Whale Watching in Tarifa, you’ll spend three hours searching the Strait of Gibraltar for up to seven cetacean species. Guides speak Spanish and English, explain local conservation, and offer a free second trip if no cetaceans appear. Orcas are possible only in July and August.
“Bella esperienza, peccato non essere riusciti a vedere le orche e non aver avuto nessun tipo di rimborso, una famiglia da 4 persone ha una bella spesa in più scegliendo questo tour invece che quello dei delfini, non sarebbe male restituire qualcosa.”
Join Dolphin Safari Gibraltar at Marina Bay for a 90-minute English-led cruise through the bay and Straits. The small boat carries up to 12 people, follows dolphin pods closely, and has onboard toilets. Sightings are highly likely, though whales are rare.
“A MUST when visiting Gibraltar! We had an amazing experience, one of the highlights of our holiday. We chose dolphin safari over dolphin adventure because through Getyourguide it was cheaper at £19 and with a 10% off code available on Google it was even cheaper at £17.10 pp. I assume the experience is roughly the same, however we noticed our ship (dolphin safari) was much less crowded. And we had seating at the front of the ship which the dolphin adventure did not. Thank you for an unforgettable experience at excellent value for money.”
Join Pepe, Paula, Pete, and the Moby Dick crew aboard a comfortable Lagoon 380 catamaran from Estepona Marina. Sail around the bay in search of dolphins, stop for an open-sea swim, enjoy one included drink, and watch for tuna, turtles, sunfish, Gibraltar, and Morocco.
“WOW! Absolutely amazing trip, we go on a boat trip on every holiday and this one is the most memorable, the hosts were lovely and the boat was beautiful. Paula was very welcoming and super helpful. The dolphins were the real stars of the show, we were surrounded by a huge pod of dolphins including babies which was absolutely incredible, they stayed with us for around 40 mins, an amazing experience and one that I will always treasure. Excellent value for money! Seems 10am is a great time to go dolphin watching.”
Meet Dolphin Safari Gibraltar at Marina Bay Square for a roughly one-hour cruise around the bay. You can expect a small boat, friendly crew, complimentary drinks and crisps, and a serious search for wild dolphins. The captain may extend the trip if sightings take time.
“This tour company is amazing! Somehow we got lost getting to the site. Our guide texted us offering directions, assured us they would wait for us. The dolphins totally surrounded the boat! So many of them jumping around us. Great fun!”
Cruise from Marina Bay near Ocean Village with an English- or Spanish-speaking crew who know the dolphins’ favorite waters. You’ll watch wild pods surf, leap, and swim beside the boat, with the Rock of Gibraltar behind you and possible sightings of whales, turtles, sunfish, and flying fish.
“Amazing experience. The crew knew exactly where to take us - they were experienced and fun - and we saw lots of dolphins! It was also a sunny, clear day. Quite windy though so carrying a jacket is advisable.”
Join a small group of up to six aboard the restored PUMA 34 from Sotogrande Marina. Cruise toward the Strait of Gibraltar with English or Spanish-speaking crew, a welcome drink, dolphin watching, coastal views, and a possible open-sea swim.
“was leuk! helaas geen dolfijnen gezien, maar dat mag de pret niet drukken. op het water tijdens vakantie is altijd leuk! aardige crew die wel echt probeerde dolfijnen te spotten, maar zat er gewoon niet in. jammer maar helaas. wel heerlijk gevaren!”
Set out from Marina Bay for a roughly one-hour boat trip along the Strait of Gibraltar. You’ll watch wild dolphins from above the water, with the Rock behind you and live commentary on board. Erik has provided Spanish guidance on some departures. Groups are limited to 20 people.
“I booked this on behalf of my brother and sister in law when they went to Gibraltar and they said they had a really good time.”
Travel by coach from Malaga or the Costa del Sol to Gibraltar, then spend 90 minutes watching dolphins in the Strait. You also get about three and a half hours for Main Street, Casemates Square, beaches, gardens, food, and tax-free shopping. Guides speak English and Spanish.
“It states 2.5 hours for the coach. We were picked up at 7.30 and got off the coach in Gibraltar at 11.20. Just short of four hours, and there were other passengers on the coach way before us. We then stopped at a service station for 30 minutes for breakfast at the side of the motorway. When we arrived in Gibraltar the dolphin tour was at 12.30 and had to meet at 12 so we had 30 minutes to wander/wait. The dolphin trip over ran by an hour. This meant that once off the trip we had 1.5 hours free time only before meeting to get the bus back which…”
Travel from Seville to Tarifa and cruise the Strait of Gibraltar for about 1.5 to 2.5 hours in search of wild dolphins and other cetaceans. A guide leads the trip in English or Spanish, followed by free time in Gibraltar. Bring your passport, sun protection, and cash.
“transport was not clear , but ut is mentioned small group possible. timing was a bit off as I waited 30min at the dolphin tour but we had to run to join back the other group. (I was the only one for dolphin watching)”
Join the WeWhale Sotogrande crew aboard Bretema for a 150-minute small-group trip toward the Strait of Gibraltar. With up to 10 people, an expert English- and Spanish-speaking crew, hydrophone, fruit, and soft drinks, you may see common, bottlenose, and striped dolphins, plus larger whales.
“Eerste dag was geen succes maar we mochten de dag nadien gewoon nog eens mee. Geweldige ervaring in een klein groepje.”
Pick a hull, pick the water you want to be in, or decide whether you want them wild.
