Big Changes To Bali’s Famous Sunrise Dolphin Watching Tours – Here’s What You Need To Know

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As Bali prepares for the upcoming high season for tourism, tour operators have come together to ensure that the dolphin-watching experiences on offer in North Bali are enjoyable for tourists and respectful to the environment. 

The Buleleng Tourism Office has reached an agreement with local tour operators and fishing communities that dolphin-watching tours will be on offer from just four beaches in north Bali.

These are Lovina Beach, the most famous location for joint dolphin-watching tours, Penimbagan Beach, Happy Beach, and Pantai Celuk Agung. 

The Head of the Buleleng Tourism Office, Gede Dody Sukma Oktiva Askara, said that these new formal meeting points for the Bali dolphin-watching tours had been discussed with each village and traditional customary leaders in each of the four locations. 

@dopamyne Dolphin watching in Northern #Bali ♬ original sound – EX7STENCE™

Moving forward, the tourism board will also appoint managers for each of the four locations so that tourists have a direct point of contact for arranging their magical morning sunrise experience.

The four locations make it easier for tour operators and independent tourists to gain access to the dolphin-watching tours. Bookings can be made in one place, and arrangements for tours are easy to follow. 

Until now sunrise dolphin-watching tours have proven to be most popular with domestic tourists in Indonesia.

This is by and large due to the fact that northern Bali is more frequently visited by local tourists than international visitors. But all that is changing.

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International tourists are showing more interest in the hidden gems of northern Bali, and the impact of both social media and the popularity of the sunrise dolphin-watching tours is all playing a part in that. 

There is still more work to be done, Askara revealed. He confirmed that dolphin-watching tours will be available from Lovina Beach, Penimbagan Beach, Happy Beach, and Celuk Agung Beach in a more organized way.

He noted that the set tariffs for the dolphin-watching experiences are still in discussion. 

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Earlier this year, a focus group meeting was held to discuss the instruction of set tariff rates for dolphin-watching tours in northern Bali.

This proposed model will help ensure tourists are paying a fair price for their tour. It will also help create a set of standard operating procedures that all operators must adhere to if they are offering formal tours.

This, in turn, helps balance the market and prioritize the safety and welfare of the wild dolphins too. 

Askara said, “Ticket prices have not been agreed. Later the [new] managers at the four beaches will discuss it again with us. What is clear is that the ticket price is the same for the four locations.”

He noted that in the future, dolphin-watching tours would be offered from other beaches as and when demand rises.

Askara said, “For other points, such as Banyualit Beach, Kaliasem, or Pemaron, it can still be done. But yes, for families, because parking is limited.”

The reason why these four locations have been chosen is because of the facilities available to tourists in these areas.

Askara said, “We see these four points are feasible for [vehicle] maneuvering and parking. So later, one large group of tourists will come and watch the dolphins from these beaches.”

Consideration for the infrastructural elements that create a comfortable experience for tourists is super important.

Many tourists in Bali need and want to know about accessibility, parking, access to public bathrooms, and what cafes and restaurants are available when they are planning their vacations and day trips.

While northern Bali is far less established in terms of tourism compared to classic destinations down south Kuta or Legian, there is so much on offer for international tourists up north.

As the dolphin-watching tour experience continues to go viral online and grow in popularity with international visitors, many observers have shared their concerns about the increasing number of tour boats in the dolphin’s home waters.

Speaking previously, Aksara and the Buleleng Tourism Board have confirmed their commitment to ensuring that the safety and welfare of the wild dolphins are preserved.

This includes soon to be implemented mandatory distances between the pod and the boats and a ban on boats chasing or shepherding the pod in the water.