Sorrento snorkelling tours: Can I swim with seals on the Mornington Peninsula?
Swim with seals on the Mornington Peninsula – and hopefully swim with dolphins in Port Phillip Bay on Sorrento snorkelling tours in a rigid inflatable boat.
Detailed answer: There are several Mornington Peninsula boat tours, but the ones run by Watermaarq have a distinct advantage. Watermaarq uses rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) to stay lower to the water and move faster. They’re not as comfortable as cruise boats, but comfort’s not really the point – it’s all about getting in the water with the sea creatures.
RIB tours from Sorrento, Victoria
The two hour dolphin and seal swim tour departs from Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne. The RIBs carry a maximum of 12 passengers, and zip across the (usually) calm waters of Port Phillip Bay.
These Sorrento snorkelling tours go in search of the dolphins that live in Port Phillip Bay. Dolphin swims and sightings are not guaranteed, though – the company pursues an ethical policy of not pursuing the bottlenose dolphins.
There’s also a chance of getting in the water with weedy sea dragons. This can also be done from the beach near the Portsea Hotel in Portsea, however.
The stars of these Sorrento snorkelling tours, therefore, tend to be the fur seals. Because the seals tend to hang out on favoured haul-out spots such as Pope’s Eye or Chinaman’s Hat, the guides have always got a fair idea where they’ll be.
13 fabulous Mornington Peninsula experiences to book
There are dozens of Mornington Peninsula tours available from Melbourne. The experiences listed below are aimed at those staying on the Peninsula, or with their own transport.
- Half day dolphin and seal swim from Sorrento.
- Peninsula Hot Springs fire, ice and bathe experience.
- Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife park entry ticket.
- Guided e-bike tour in Arthurs Seat State Park and beyond.
- Wildlife kayaking tour from Portsea.
- Waterbike tour from Mornington.
- Point Nepean National Park bike hire.
- French cooking class in Fingal.
- Dolphin and seal watching cruise from Sorrento.
- Mornington Peninsula wineries hop-on, hop-off bus.
- Montalto Vineyard discovery wine-tasting with lunch.
- Enchanted Garden entry ticket.
- Snorkelling with sea dragons in Portsea.
Swimming with seals in Port Phillip Bay
If you go swimming with seals on the Mornington Peninsula, you’ll very quickly realise that they can be very playful, too. They’re generally curious about humans, and like interacting with them.
The waters at Pope’s Eye in particular are fairly shallow. This makes it a good place to take in the dozens of fish species swirling around. This might not be the Great Barrier Reef, but there’s a surprising amount of diversity in Port Phillip Bay.
The Sorrento snorkelling tours with Watermaarq, allowing you to swim with seals on the Mornington Peninsula and hopefully see the Port Phillip Bay dolphins, run daily. Booking online, the two hour RIB tours cost $119.
The Mornington Peninsula is an easy day trip from Melbourne, and a short hop on the Queenscliff ferry from the Bellarine Peninsula. Highlights include Peninsula Hot Springs, Cheviot Beach and the World War II sites at Point Nepean, plus the cellar doors at the Polperro Winery and Montalto Winery.
More water activities in Australia
Kayak around Hobart harbour in Tasmania.
Go kayaking on Loch Luna from Berri, South Australia.
Board a whale-watching tour in Dunsborough, Western Australia.
Take a Pieman River cruise through the wilderness from Corinna, Tasmania.
See the Proserpine River crocodiles on an alternative Whitsundays cruise near Proserpine.