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Marine mammal tour permits

Companies or individuals running tours to see whales, dolphins or seals in Victoria may need a permit.

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Dolphins in water

Marine mammal permits issued under the Wildlife Act 1975 allow commercial operators to conduct organised tours to see whales, dolphins in the wild and at designated seal colonies.

The Wildlife (Marine Mammals) Regulations 2019 protect seals, dolphins and whales in Victoria and include rules for commercial tour operators.

Permits are available for commercial whale and seal watching tours as well as swimming with whales.

Permits allow vessels to approach closer than recreational vessels, but strict conditions apply.

Types of marine mammal permits

Seal watching

Seal tour permits allow tour operators to conduct boat-based tours up to the ’tour operator exclusion zone’ of seal colonies.

The distance of the tour operator exclusion zone from the low water mark differs during breeding season and non-breeding season, as well as between seal breeding colonies.

There are 6 declared seal breeding colonies in Victoria:

  1. Seal Rocks, off Phillip Island
  2. Kanowna Island, off Wilsons Promontory
  3. Cape Bridgewater, near Portland in western Victoria
  4. Lady Julia Percy Island, 6km off the coast of western Victoria near Port Fairy
  5. Rag Island, in the Cliffy Group of islands east of Wilsons Promontory
  6. The Skerries, in Croajingolong National Park in eastern Victoria

Aircraft-based tours from either fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters are permitted to approach up to 300m of a seal at a protected seal breeding colony without the need for a permit. No hovering over the animals is permitted.

You do not need a seal tour permit if your tour does not approach closer than the prescribed minimum distance for a seal breeding colony. For example, if you take boat tours to the seal breeding colony at Cape Bridgewater but do not approach closer than 100m between 1 November and 28 February or 50m between 1 March and 31 October.

Whale watching (boat-based)

Whale watching permits (boat-based) allow tour operators to conduct commercial boat-based tours that can approach up to 100m of a whale or 50m of a dolphin. Permits are also subject to additional conditions to help minimise the impact of these tours on whales.

Use of jet skis or other personal watercraft, hovercrafts and remote-operated vessels are not allowed for whale watching tours.

You do not need a whale watching tour permit if you do not wish to take tours closer than the prescribed minimum distances of 200m for a whale or 100m for a dolphin.

Whale (Dolphin) swim

Whale swim permits allow tour guests to enter the water with whales or dolphins. Whale swim permits can only be issued within a limited permit area and must be allocated via a competitive process.

Port Phillip Bay is currently the only Limited Permit Area in Victorian coastal waters.

Whale watching (aircraft-based, including helicopters)

Whale watching permits for aircraft (including all fixed wing aircraft and helicopters) allow tour operators to conduct commercial tours within a 300m radius, flying no lower than 300m over a whale or dolphin. Aircraft are not allowed to hover over marine mammals. Permits are also be subject to additional conditions to help minimise the impact of these tours on whales.

You do not need a whale watching tour permit (aircraft-based) if you do not wish to conduct tours closer than 500m to a whale or dolphin.

Call for Dolphin Swim Tour Permits applications in the Port Phillip Bay Limited Permit Area

Applications for Dolphin Swim Tour Permits in the Port Phillip Bay Limited Permit Area are now invited.

The Wildlife Act allows for the number of permits to be limited where necessary to protect marine mammals in particular locations. A Limited Permit Area is declared for Port Phillip Bay, and a maximum of four tour permits for swimming with dolphins can be granted within this area.

Permits are available for the period between 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030.

Applicants must complete the Dolphin Swim Tour Application Form and address the assessment criteria. Applications must be submitted electronically to: wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au and marked CONFIDENTIAL – Dolphin Swim Tour Permit Application by no later than 2:00 pm 5 June 2025. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.

All applications will be assessed based on the criteria outlined in the Dolphin Swim Tour Permit Application Form for the Port Phillip Bay Limited Permit Area.

For further information, please refer to the attached frequently asked questions.

2025 Application form Dolphin Swim Tour Permit PDF 413.89 KB (opens in a new window)

2025 Application form Dolphin Swim Tour Permit Word 434.03 KB (opens in a new window)

2025 FAQs Dolphin Swim Tour Word 691.99 KB (opens in a new window)

Apply for a marine mammal permit

To apply for a marine mammal permit for whale or seal watching, download and complete the application form:

Application for a marine mammal tour permit Word 310.67 KB (opens in a new window)

Submit your completed application to wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Permit fees

If your application is successful, you will be sent a payment notice for your permit – do not send payment with your application.

Permit type Annual fee 2025/26
Whale watching (vessel) $437.00
Seal watching $437.00
Whale swim $2034.00
Whale-watching (aircraft) $437.00

Please note that once licence fees are paid, refunds will not be issued for change of mind. If you have a specific refund enquiry, please contact wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Tour Operator Licences

Any tour conducted in state waters or on Crown land require a Tour Operator Licence. Tour Operator Licences are managed by Parks Victoria. For more information on these licences and an application form visit Parks Victoria.

Updated 26 June 2025

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