Dolphin Watching Golfo Aranci

Dolphin Watching Golfo Aranci

  • In Golfo Aranci, Sardinia, there is a resident population of dolphins
  • The chances of seeing them – even up close – are very high
  • The excursion generally lasts from a few hours to half a day and costs around 30/50 euros
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Dolphin Watching

Dolphin Watching Golfo Aranci
Dolphin Watching Golfo Aranci

For years, Golfo Aranci has been internationally known, not only for its beauty but also for the presence of a resident population of dolphins that inhabit the waters off the coast.

Golfo Aranci is a charming fishing village located in the northeast of Sardinia, just a few kilometers north of Olbia, and is easily reachable by car or public transport.

The dolphin watching tour is suitable for everyone, lasts a few hours and takes place aboard a rubber boat or a vessel, sometimes even a specially equipped fishing boat.

With just a few minutes of navigation, you reach the area of the fish farm located in the center of the gulf where you can generally spot dolphins engaged in their daily activities.

The population is resident and naturally lives in complete freedom, so sightings cannot be guaranteed 100% because dolphins do not keep appointments 🙂 however, 90/95% of the time they are sighted and offer unique emotions.

There are many operators in the area offering this type of excursion, each providing different experiences, as well as choice of ports for departure: Golfo Aranci, Sos Aranzos, Olbia, Poltu Quatu.

The cost of the experience is generally in the range of a few tens of euros; of course, the price varies according to the duration of the trip and the type of boat used. Choose the one you prefer from the available options.

Dolphin Watching: Where It Happens

The territory of Golfo Aranci includes a Site of Community Interest of Sardinia, the SIC Capo Figari and Isola Figarolo. This special conservation area is a particularly important natural area protected by the Natura 2000 network.

Dolphin watching tours depart from:
Golfo Aranci
Olbia

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Figarolo

During the excursion, you can admire the untouched nature that characterizes the Islet of Figarolo.

On the island in the heart of the gulf, some mouflons live and often come to the cliffs to nibble on the tasty bushes of Mediterranean scrub seasoned by the sea.

In summer, the island is also populated by numerous grey herons resting on the ridges while waiting to set off on their migratory journey. These majestic birds, which can reach up to 1 meter in height, are visible on top of the cliffs and on the buoys marking the fish farming facility, creating an incredibly picturesque scene.

Capo Figari

During dolphin watching tours, you can also admire the imposing limestone cliffs of Capo Figari, where the white cliffs shaped by water and wind provide shelter to a multitude of animals.

The fauna of this Site of Community Interest – SIC area – is indeed quite varied, featuring major representatives such as mouflons, wild boars, foxes, hares, tortoises, Audouin's gull, and the royal gull, peregrine falcons, lesser shearwaters, storm petrels, cormorants, and tufted ducks.

The flora typical of the Mediterranean scrub is also particularly rich and noteworthy. Among the most recognized representatives are myrtle, juniper, wild olive, holm oak, strawberry tree, cistus, and helichrysum, heather, lavender, rosemary, mastic, bulrush, and spurge.

The Dolphins of Golfo Aranci

Interesting Facts

Now let's get to some interesting information. The dolphins that can generally be seen in Golfo Aranci are bottlenose dolphins, also known as “bottle-nosed dolphins.” The famous and unforgettable Flipper belonged to the species Tursiops.

Dolphins are marine mammals, so they spend their entire lives in the water and carry out daily activities such as raising offspring, sleeping, eating, and playing.

In the water, they mate, give birth, and nurse while continuing to breathe air and occasionally putting their “nose” above water. Dolphins, therefore, have lungs and typically resurface every 5 minutes to breathe.

In this regard, an interesting fact is that dolphins make half of their brain rest at a time, using one cerebral hemisphere for sleeping and then the other, which is likely necessary to control their respiratory system.

Dolphins have a true “language” communicating with each other through whistles and use the famous “clicks” to locate potential prey or obstacles in their path.

You might also be wondering if dolphins are dangerous. In general, they are peaceful and playful animals, but females, like all mammal mothers, are very protective of their young.

If females sense the presence of danger to their cubs, they may become aggressive, like all mothers in the world. Some say that these marine mammals can also be quite jealous.

Some More Facts About Dolphins

The dolphin community in Golfo Aranci is quite large; however, typically these mammals live in small groups consisting of 2-3 up to 10 individuals, mostly females and their young.

Males tend to be solitary or live in alliances and only join the group at certain times.

  • dolphins reproduce every 2/3 years and give birth underwater to a single calf, which will then live with its mother, aunts, and cousins for a few years;
  • the gestation period of a dolphin is about 12 months, calves are born in water and have an umbilical cord;
  • calves are nursed until they are about 18 months old and stay close to their mothers until about 4 years old;
  • they can reach speeds of up to 30 km/h while swimming;
  • dolphins have lungs like us; the time of apnea in marine mammals varies quite a lot, ranging from a few minutes to several hours (in the case of sperm whales);
  • these dolphins have teeth (about 100-120 teeth) and feed on fish, cephalopods (octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish), and crustaceans.

The Dolphin Gulf Project

In order to protect these wonders and preserve their delicate ecosystem, it is essential to maintain responsible conduct at every stage of the watching for the utmost safety and well-being of the specimens. For this reason, many operators have chosen to voluntarily adhere to an ethical code of conduct making dolphin watching dolphin & eco-friendly.

The project “The Gulf of Dolphins” promoted by Worldrise and Friend of the Sea outlines a code of conduct that makes the activity sustainable and is based on international guidelines adapted to the local reality of the gulf.

The operators involved are adequately trained to provide information about ecology and dolphins. Among the best practices for responsible watching are maintaining a safe distance, reducing boat speeds, not swimming with dolphins, not feeding them to avoid interfering with their life in nature, and not transmitting diseases to them.

During the watching conducted with operators adhering to the project, the education and awareness of tourists towards these wonderful creatures is also promoted. See the complete list of certified operators within the project The Gulf of Dolphins

The Main Threats Facing Dolphins

Dolphins can live more than 50 years in some cases, but throughout their lives, they encounter many dangers, and the infant mortality rate is quite high. The main threats include:

    • intensive fishing that depletes the seas
    • fishing nets
    • boat propellers
    • pollution including acoustic
    • diseases

Conscious Dolphin Watching

There are two associations in particular that have promoted best practices and behavioral codes that safeguard the well-being of dolphins while allowing visitors to observe them in their natural habitat in Golfo Aranci

Worldrise, dolphin watching

Worldrise

The Gulf of Dolphins project transforms the activity of watching into an eco-friendly affair. Operators who adhere to the project thus respect a code of conduct that makes the activity sustainable based on international guidelines adapted to local reality. Operators are also trained to provide education about ecology and dolphins during the watching to promote education and awareness among tourists regarding these wonderful creatures. 

Friends of The Sea

Friend of the Sea

The Friend of the Sea Dolphin and Whale Watching project, the association that defines all the best practices and behaviors of the "Gulf of Dolphins" project by Worldrise & Friend of The Sea for conducting sustainable dolphin watching excursions.

Dolphin Watching: Frequently Asked Questions

quick questions and answers ⚡

Usually around €30, and infants under 2 years do not pay.

Prices are indicative and not binding. Choose the boat you prefer to find out the official ticket price.

Departures for dolphin watching leave from the coast of Golfo Aranci, specifically: Sos Aranzos beach, Golfo Aranci tourist port.

You can also find departures from Poltu Quatu (Porto Cervo)

Usually there are departures all day every 2 hours from 9 AM to 6 PM during high season.

The duration of the excursion is usually around 90 minutes.

You need to arrive early – at least 10 minutes in advance to board all participants onto the boat.

Sardinia has mild temperatures all year round. During the summer, we recommend you bring a hat to protect yourself from the sun, a swimsuit, and a towel for swimming during the stops. If you wish, bring a light sweater depending on the time you choose for the dolphin watching tour. If you do the dolphin watching tour in winter, bring a heavy jacket and a hat. Don't forget your camera.

During the tour, you may be asked to look around to increase the chances of spotting them; 4 eyes see better than 2, 6 better than 4. In this case, carefully scan the surface of the sea, and by scanning well you will see a fin appear when you least expect it.

When it happens, even though your first instinct may be to shout “I saw it”, “they are right there”, signal it to the captain who will steer near the sighting point at an appropriate speed, keeping the distance to avoid disturbing or frightening them.

Dolphins are friendly and peaceful animals, however, they are mammals... just like us! Females are very protective of their young and become “nervous” when they sense a potential threat.

The general advice for safely watching dolphins is to keep a proper distance, especially to avoid disturbing them and interfering with their daily activities.

It is not possible to swim with dolphins.

During this experience, you will be able to swim in the most beautiful bays of Golfo Aranci, but swimming will not be allowed during the dolphin watching for your safety and for that of the dolphins.

The dolphin watching activity must be conducted in total respect for the animals; swimming with dolphins would mean transmitting potentially deadly diseases to them and interfering with their nature.

Feeding dolphins is prohibited.

The reasons are very simple:

  • it is necessary to avoid them associating “boat=food”, otherwise there is a risk they might collide with boats with unfortunately fatal outcomes.

  • moreover, it is important for dolphins to feed themselves, maintaining their eating habits and not eating fish caught days ago or, worse, frozen.

The excursion includes a tour of the bay of Golfo Aranci and a passage near the aquaculture facility. During the experience, you generally can admire the small island of Figarolo with its wild nature, the birds that inhabit it, and its mouflons. If the weather and sea conditions allow, you will also see the cliffs of Capo Figari, Sa Mama Chiatta, the Portone, and sometimes it is possible to reach the natural amphitheater.

The dolphins that can generally be seen in Golfo Aranci are tursiops, also known as “bottlenose dolphins”.

The famous and unforgettable Flipper was of the Tursiops genus.

Dolphins are marine mammals, so they spend their entire lives in the water and carry out daily activities like raising young, sleeping, eating, and playing.

In the water, they mate, give birth, and nurse while continuing to breathe air, surfacing “nose” from time to time. Dolphins therefore have lungs and come to the surface, generally every 5 minutes, to breathe.

The dolphin community in Golfo Aranci is quite numerous; however, these mammals usually live in small groups of 2-3 up to 10 individuals, generally females and calves. Males tend to be solitary or live in alliances and usually join the group only during certain periods.

Generally no: dogs often bark when they see dolphins because they are very curious about them. We recommend checking the description of each activity or using the filters to select “animals allowed.”

The parking area varies depending on the port you choose for departure. However, we recommend arriving at the departure port with sufficient time to park your car in a suitable place and avoid unpleasant fines.

Porto San Paolo
Near the tourist port, there are paid and free parking areas. They are not very many, so arrive a little earlier.

Golfo Aranci
It's not hard to find parking. In any case, arrive on time because there may be a lot of traffic during high season.

Always check the description of each activity where you find the updated information about the location.

Yes, usually the boats are equipped with a canopy, but this is usually opened during stops and not during navigation.

Bring with you:

  • swimsuit
  • beach towel
  • sunscreen
  • sunglasses
  • camera

There is usually drinking water, beverages, and some snacks on board to satisfy hunger.

Yes, the dolphin watching excursion is recommended for everyone.

The weather and sea conditions are usually very calm, and navigation always takes place close to the coast. For this reason, it is a very pleasant trip in a unique territory.

If you have special needs, check the activity description in the important information section to choose the tour and provider that best suits you.