Most dolphin trips in Mauritius are over by 09:00. This one keeps going. You leave Black River at dawn and swim with wild spinner dolphins inside the legal morning window, then the boat carries on south to Crystal Rock and Île aux
Couples, families and small groups
Most dolphin trips in Mauritius are over by 09:00. This one keeps going. You leave Black River at dawn and swim with wild spinner dolphins inside the legal morning window, then the boat carries on south to Crystal Rock and Île aux Bénitiers for snorkelling and a barbecue lunch on the sand. Seven hours, one booking and the two best things on the west coast.
You leave Black River between 06:00 and 06:30, when the sea is at its flattest. Spinner dolphins rest in the sheltered bays along this coast in the morning after feeding offshore at night. When the skipper finds a pod, guests enter the water quietly in small groups, and the boat stays at least 50 metres away from the dolphins.
Mid-morning the boat heads south to Île aux Bénitiers. On the way you stop at Crystal Rock, the coral rock standing alone in the turquoise lagoon. It is a short stop, so have your camera ready.
Next is a snorkel over the reef in warm, shallow, sheltered water. Lunch is a barbecue on the island’s beach, with grilled fish and chicken, rice and salads. You head back to Black River in the early afternoon.
Without the dolphin swim, the west coast catamaran cruise to Île aux Bénitiers is the simpler day out, and the private half-day catamaran gives you the boat to yourselves.
BBQ lunch (included): grilled fish and chicken, rice and salads, served on the beach.
Drinks (included): water and soft drinks. Ask when you book if alcoholic drinks are included.
| Option | Price |
| Shared tour, per person | from €79 |
| Private boat, same day | around €520 per boat |
| Hotel transfer | Quoted by distance |
For a 06:00 start, a transfer makes the morning much easier. Our local drivers speak English and French and have cars for 4, 6 or 12 people. The price depends on the distance to Black River.
Dolphins sleep with one half of their brain at a time, keeping the other half awake to breathe and watch for danger. That is what the spinner dolphins are doing when they swim slowly in the bays off Black River in the morning.
This full-day trip with Île aux Bénitiers and lunch costs from €79 per person. A private boat for the same day costs around €520.
About 7 hours, leaving Black River between 06:00 and 06:30 and returning in the early afternoon.
Yes. A BBQ lunch is served on the beach at Île aux Bénitiers, with drinks.
A small coral rock standing alone in the lagoon near Île aux Bénitiers. It is one of the most photographed places in Mauritius.
No. They are wild animals. Sightings are common in the morning, but nobody can promise them.
Sometimes, between July and October, when humpback whales pass the west coast. Swimming with whales is not allowed.
Yes, for children who are happy on a boat for a full day. The dolphin swim needs a child who is confident in open water.
The law only allows swimming with dolphins between 06:00 and 09:00, and the sea is calmest in the early morning.
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