Sunset Twilight Cruise

Get close and personal with these incredible animals on our Twilight Seal and Dolphin Swim Tours. The experience viewed from the vessel and in the water is magnificent as you watch these beautiful animals playing right next to and beneath our boat. 

The Maureen M is equipped with a roof top viewing platform which gives you a great perspective of the seals and dolphins as they dart around the vessel, as well as equipped with mermaid lines and an extending hammock net to relax in!

Experience a unique experience on board a historic
vessel and interact with the playful Australian Fur Seals under the beauty of
the setting sun. First, you’ll head to Pope’s Eye Marine Park, one of Port
Phillip Bay’s best dive locations due to its incredible biodiversity - there’s
even the chance to see Weedy Sea Dragons and for bird lovers, this is the home
to the Australasian Gannet, Australia’s largest diving seabird. 

It’s then onto
Chinaman’s Hat, a shallow ‘haul-out site’ that houses up to 100 seals. These
playful and inquisitive characters have got to be one of the most exciting
marine species to interact with - twisting and turning below the surface
seeking your attention and often swimming in close to get a better look.  

Whilst dolphins are not a priority on this tour they are often a regular sighting on our Twilight Tours. If timing and weather allows, you'll also have the opportunity to get in the water and swim with the dolphins. 

Swimming with dolphins is handled by the experienced instructors that will ensure that both snorkelers and dolphins benefit from the experience.

Departing through the summer months only (late November - January), subject to availability and weather conditions. 

Tours commence at 5:30pm returning to the harbour just before dark approximately 8:30pm. 

Please note: There is a $10 environmental levy included as part of the price of this tour. This levy helps us help our oceans and will be put towards any of the following programs and research through our partnership charity SOEL (Southern Ocean Environmental Link):

• Plastic recycling education programs – funding will help us purchase more plastic recycling machinery for use within our recycling programs, facilitate our education sessions for school age children, and go toward community plastic reduction efforts.
• A Port Phillip Bay wide dolphin population study, utilising machine-based learning marine identification camera systems and citizen science base initiative to create a catalogue of dolphin dorsal fins with Port Phillip Bay. 
• Port Phillip Bay Seal Watch program – mapping the movement trends of Australian Fur Seals within Port Phillip Bay Haul Out sites.
• Marine pest (Northern Pacific Seastar) eradication study utilising machine-based learning identification systems.
• An investigation into the effects of ecotourism experiences on young people’s awareness and attitude toward marine conservation. Read our recent report here. 
• We will also use these funds to invest in an accessibility hoist for Queenscliff Harbour, and in doing so create the first readily available accessibility point for marine tourism within Port Phillip Bay.

Visit SOEL's website to find out more or contribute further.