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Dolphin Watching Golfo Aranci

The thrill of seeing a dolphin up close in the wild? It seems incredible but at Golfo Aranci the dolphins are at home and seeing them frolic in the water and play is very easy.
Dolphin-Gulf of Oranges


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Table of contents

Dolphin Sightings: Frequently Asked Questions

quick questions and answers ⚡

Dolphin watching Golfo Aranci

  • A in Sardinia there is a resident colony of
  • 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 euro

Tariffs

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

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

Sighting departures depart from the coast of in particular: Sos Aranzos beach, Golfo Aranci marina.

You can also find departures from ()

There are usually all-day departures every 2 hours from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. in high season.

The hike usually lasts around 9o minutes

It is necessary to arrive early - at least 10 minutes so that all participants can board the raft 

There is no particular type of dinghy.

However, all suppliers use stable inflatable boats with robust, high-performance engines to ensure maximum safety. Inflatable boats for dolphin watching are generally 7 to 12 metres.

Sardinia has mild temperatures all year round. During the summer, we recommend that you bring a hat to protect you from the sun, a swimming costume and a towel for bathing during stops. If you wish, you can also bring a jumper depending on the time of day you choose to go on the sightseeing tour. If you take the in winter bring a heavy jacket and a cap. Don't forget your camera.

Dolphin sighting: unforgettable excursions

Perhaps during the tour you will be asked to look around to increase your chances of spotting them, 4 eyes see better than 2, 6 better than 4. In this case, scan the surface of the sea carefully and you will see a fin pop up when you least expect it.

When it happens, even if it is your first instinct, don't start screaming "I saw it", "there they are"report it to the commander, who will head for the sighting point at an appropriate speed and respecting distances so as not to annoy or frighten them.

Dolphins are friendly and peaceful animals, yet they are mammals... like us! The females are very protective of their young and when they smell potential danger they become 'nervous'.

The general advice for safe dolphin watching is to keep a safe distance from dolphins, especially not to annoy them or interfere with their daily activities.

Swimming with dolphins is not possible.

During this experience you can swim in the most beautiful bays of Golfo Aranci but you will not be allowed to swim during the sighting for your safety and that of the dolphins.

The activity of must be conducted with total respect for the animals; bathing dolphins would mean transmitting potentially fatal diseases to them and interfering with their nature. 

Feeding dolphins is prohibited.

The reasons are very simple:

  • It must be avoided that they associate 'boat=food' otherwise there is a risk that they will collide with boats with unfortunately fatal results.

  • It is also important that Delphinians feed themselves by maintaining their eating habits and not by feeding on fish caught days ago or worse frozen.

The excursion includes a tour of the bay of Golfo Aranci and a pass by the water-culture plant. During the experience you can generally admire the small island of Figarolo with its wilderness, the birds that inhabit it and its mouflons. If weather and sea conditions permit, you will also see the cliffs of , Sa Mama Chiatta, the Portone and sometimes it is possible to go as far as the natural amphitheatre.

The dolphins that can generally be seen at Golfo Aranci are bottlenose dolphinsalso known as bottle-nosed dolphins.

The famous and unforgettable Flipper was of the Tursiope genus.

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

In the water they mate, give birth and suckle while continuing to breathe air and putting their 'nose' out of the water from time to time. Dolphins then have lungs and come up to the surface, usually every 5 minutes, to breathe

The dolphin community at Golfo Aranci is rather large, but these mammals usually live in small groups of 2-3 up to 10 individuals, usually females and pups. Males tend to be solitary or live in alliances and tend to join the group only at certain times.

Generally not: dogs often bark when they see dolphins because they are very, very curious about them. We recommend that you check the description of the individual activity or use the filters by selecting 'animals allowed'.

The place for parking differs depending on which port you choose for departure. However, we recommend that you arrive at the port of departure well in advance so that you can park your car in a suitable place and not incur unpleasant penalties.

Porto San Paolo
There are paid and free parking spaces near the marina. There are not so many, so arrive a little earlier

Golfo Aranci
Parking is not difficult to find. In any case, arrive early because during the high season there may be a lot of traffic.

Always check each activity's card for up-to-date location information.

Yes, the dinghies are usually equipped with an awning but this is usually opened during stops and not while sailing.

Take with you:

  • swimming costume
  • beach towel
  • sunscreen
  • sunglasses
  • camera

Drinking water, beverages and a few snacks to break the hunger pangs are usually on board.

Yes, the dolphin-watching excursion is recommended for everyone.

The marine weather conditions are usually very calm and navigation always takes place below the coast. For this reason it is a very pleasant trip in a unique area.

If you have special requirements, check the activity sheet under important information so that you can choose the tour and supplier that suits you best.

Dolphin sightings: how to book

Online booking is a must, otherwise you risk not finding a place. Moreover, online prices are often lower.
If you want to buy tickets for a trip to La Maddalena On yepsea.com choose the motor vessel you prefer from the proposals, you can see at a glance the duration, tariff and port of departure.

On the page of each activity you can see the then choose your departure date and enter your details. There is no need to print the ticket, you can simply show it from your smartphone on the day of embarkation.

At least 24/48 hours in advance.

A trip to the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago is one of the best in Sardinia and is in great demand.

Especially in high season, you risk not finding a place if you book at the last second. That is why we suggest you book as early as possible.

It is generally not possible to reserve a specific place on the motorboat.

All seats on any boat have an excellent view and there is always something to see in the park.

If you want a more exclusive service that is closer to your needs, you can choose private tours. In this case you will have the whole boat and crew at your disposal for you and your family.

You will be refunded your ticket or asked to choose another date.

All require suitable marine weather conditions that can guarantee safe navigation.

For this reason, it is up to the captain - for the safety of his passengers and the vessel - to decide whether or not to carry out the excursion.

The dolphin spotting tour

For years now, Golfo Aranci has been internationally known, in addition to its beauty, for its resident colony of dolphins that populates the waters in front of the village.

Golfo Aranci is a charming fishing village located in the north-eastern Sardiniaa few kilometres north of and is easily accessible by car or public transport.

The dolphin watching tour is suitable for allIt lasts for several hours and takes place on board an inflatable boat or a boat, in some cases even on a specially equipped fishing boat.

A few minutes' boat ride takes you to the fish farm area in the middle of the gulf where you can generally spotting dolphins busy with their daily activities.

The colony is sedentary and naturally lives in absolute freedom therefore sightings cannot be guaranteed at 100% because dolphins do not accept appointments 🙂 however 90/95% per cent of the time they are sighted and provide unique emotions.

The operators in the area who offer this type of excursion are many and offer different experiences, as do the ports you can choose for departure: Golfo Aranci, Sos Aranzos, , .

The cost of the experience is generally a few tens of euros. Naturally, the rate varies depending on the duration of the trip and the vessel on which it is carried out. Choose the one you prefer from the available proposals.

Dolphin spotting: where to do it

The territory of Golfo Aranci includes a Site of Community Interest in Sardinia, the SCI and Figarolo Island. The Special Area of Conservation is a particularly important natural area and protected by the Natura 2000 network.

During the excursion you can admire the unspoilt nature that characterises the Islet of Figarolo.

On the island in the heart of the gulf live some mouflons who often overlook the cliffs to munch on the appetising bushes of maquis salted by the sea.

In summer, the island is also populated by numerous grey herons resting on the ridges waiting to depart on their migratory journey. These majestic birds, which can reach up to 1 metre in height, can be seen on top of the cliffs and on the buoys marking the boundary of the fish farm, and create an incredibly impressive backdrop.

Capo Figari

During dolphin-watching tours you can also admire the imposing limestone cliffs by Capo Figariwhose white cliffs composed of rocks shaped by water and wind offer shelter to a multitude of animals.

In fact, the fauna of this Site of Community Interest - SCI area - is quite diverse, the major exponents being the mouflon, wild boar, fox, hare, tortoise, the Corsican and herring gull, the peregrine falcon, the lesser shearwater, the storm bird, the cormorant and the tufted warbler.

The typical flora of the is particularly rich and noteworthy. Among the best-known exponents present are myrtle, juniper, wild olive, holm oak, strawberry tree, cistus, helichrysumheather, lavender and rosemary, mastic, rush and euphorbia.

Dolphins Golfo Aranci: some curiosities

We now come to some curious news. The dolphins that can generally be seen at Golfo Aranci are bottlenose dolphinsalso known as 'bottle-nosed dolphins'. The famous and unforgettable Flipper was of the Tursiope genus.

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

In water they mate, give birth and breastfeed continuing to breathe air and putting their 'nose' out of the water from time to time. The dolphins then have lungs and come up to the surface, usually every five minutes, to breathe.

In this regard, an interesting curiosity is that dolphins make rest half a brain at a timeso for sleep they use first one cerebral hemisphere and then the other, which is probably necessary to control the breathing system.

Dolphins have a real 'language' they communicate with each other with whistles and use the famous 'clicks' to locate any prey or obstacles in their path.

You are probably also wondering whether dolphins are dangerous. In general are peaceful and playful animals but females, like all mammal mothers, care a lot about their cubs.

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

Some numbers on the dolphins of Golfo Aranci

The dolphin community at Golfo Aranci is quite large, however, these mammals usually live in small groups of 2-3 up to 10 individualsgenerally females and puppies.

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

A few more numbers on dolphins:

  • dolphins will they reproduce every two to three years and give birth in water to a puppy, an only child, who will then live with his mother, aunts and cousins for a few years;
  • the duration of the gestation of a dolphin is approximately 12 monthspuppies are born in water and have an umbilical cord;
  • the puppies come suckled until the age of about 18 monthsThey then stay close to their mother until they are about 4 years old;
  • the speed they can reach in the swimming up to about 30 km/h;
  • dolphins have lungs like us, the time to apnoea of marine mammals is quite variable, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours (in the case of sperm whales);
  • these dolphins have teeth (about 100-120 teeth) and feed on fish, cephalopods (octopus, squid and cuttlefish) and crustaceans.

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 sighting for the maximum protection and safety of the specimens. This is why many operators have chosen to voluntarily adhere to a code of conduct that makes dolphin spotting activity dolphin & eco-friendly.

The "Gulf of Dolphins" project promoted by Worldrise e Friend of the Sea outlines a code of conduct that makes the business sustainable and is based on international guidelines adapted to the local reality in the Gulf.

Participating operators are adequately trained to provide information on ecology and dolphins. Among the best practice responsible sightings include keeping a safe distance, reducing the speed of watercraft, not bathing with dolphins, not giving them food so as not to interfere with their life in the wild and not transmitting diseases to them.

During the sightings carried out with the project operators, the education and awareness of tourists towards these beautiful creatures is also promoted. See the complete list of certified operators within the project The Gulf of Dolphins

The main dangers threatening dolphins

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

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

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One Response

  1. Dolphin sighting Golfo Aranci made yesterday 09/09/22, wonderful experience: dolphins were seen for a moment at the beginning. The rest of the ecursion was really nice (excluding one of the guides who devoted herself almost entirely to one participant while neglecting the others present). In any case, this experience is really worthwhile, especially for young people who can learn a lot about environmental protection. Excellent organisation

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