Hotel on Moreton Island

Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort

Just a relaxing 75 minute cruise from Brisbane across Moreton Bay, or a 15 minute plane ride from Brisbane Airport, puts you on the doorstep of...

Fringed on three sides by Moreton Island National Park, Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort is subtly nestled amongst landscaped gardens and natural bushland.  The low-rise units have a distinct Mediterranean look and feel about them and are well positioned to catch the sea breeze.  Units feature stylish furnishings, bathroom, kitchenette, colour TV and cool slate floors which lead onto your own private balcony.

A highlight of any stay at Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort will be the opportunity to interact closely with our native wild life.  Each evening the Tangalooma inshore dolphins eagerly swim up the beach, adjacent to the well lit jetty, where they are rewarded with fresh fish hand fed to them by our Dolphin Care staff and Resort Guests.  Whether you are actually participating in the feeding or simply watching from the jetty, you will be overwhelmed by these beautiful creatures.   In the mornings our resident pelicans and cormorants also enjoy a bucket or two of fish hand fed to them on the beach.

If you pay us a visit during the whale migration season between July and the end of October, you will have the opportunity to participate in our regular whale watching cruise when you can catch a close look at these majestic mammals of the sea.

Dining & Entertainment

At night enjoy a memorable evening dining in our fully licensed restaurant or a more casual meal at the Beach Cafe.  Alternatively you can self-cater in the privacy of your own unit; our island shop will provide you with everything you need.

After dinner you can enjoy our nightly entertainment or go for a moonlight stroll along the endless stretch of white sandy beach.  Whether your love is for nature, the water, or just relaxing on the beach under a palm tree, Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort has something for everyone.

Accommodation

The Resort boasts 170 modern Guest units, 36 of which are two storey family Villas. The Resort facilities include free use of Tennis court, Squash court and archery range with required equipment. Also available for a hire fee is a large range of water sports, snorkel gear, scuba equipment and diving excursions.

The Resort is subtly nestled in landscaped gardens and natural bushland. The low rise units have a distinct Mediterranean look and feel about them and are well positioned to catch the sea breezes. Units feature stylish furnishings, bathroom, kitchenette, colour TV and cool slate floors which lead on to your own private balcony or patio.

As well as our world renowned wild dolphins, Tangalooma offers a wide range of activities such as: tennis, squash, archery, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, bushwalking, golf driving net, putting green and wilderness Four Wheel Drive escorted tours to many National Park highlights.  These include visiting Queensland's oldest lighthouse at Cape Moreton, the Ocean Beach and the "Blue Lagoon" or enjoy a short trip to the "Desert" for the exhilarating sport of "Sand Tobogganing".

Tangalooma caters for all ages with Teens and Kids Club activities daily and includes educational involvement in the Dolphin Education Centre.

Dolphin Feeding

The Jetty itself is an excellent vantage point from which to view these incredible creatures as they swim around at great speed, catching their own fish before hand feeding begins.

Due to the depth of the water required to safely feed the dolphins children under the age of about 8 years of age will need to be carried into the water.  Staff will assist if you have difficulty with this requirement.

Please bear in mind that the dolphins are wild creatures that come into the Resort each evening of their own accord, they are not trained or tamed in any way.  On that basis we don't pat, pet, stroke or swim with them.  Our reward is to see their trust as they swim up to us and gently take small fish from our hand.

In the 12 months from 1 July 1996 only 2 nights were recorded when dolphins did not come in to feed.  This is usually caused by extremely poor weather conditions factored in with very low tides where the dolphins cannot see the beach through the broken water.  Thankfully though, the resort is situated on the mostly protected western side of Moreton Island.

You are advised to book early during your stay if you wish to feed the dolphins.   This is a very popular activity and is often booked out.

If you are participating in the dolphin feeding, please be down at the jetty by the scheduled feed time or you may be unable to participate.  Photos of the feed can be purchased from the photographers' office in the Dolphin Education Centre.

Dolphin Education and Research Centre

The Dolphin Education and Research Centre has been set up to provide education and research facilities to support the Dolphin Care and Feeding Program. The Centre is the first contact for guests wishing to take part in the feeding session.  Guests obtain dolphin-feeding tokens from the centre and at the same time are advised of the procedures governing feeding.

Photographs and a brief history of the dolphins which frequent Tangalooma are displayed, as well as posters showing the anatomy of a dolphin and descriptions of their characteristics.  A small library of books on dolphins and whales is provided for people.

Information sheets with facts on dolphins and a brochure outlining the Dolphin Care and Feeding Program, and other publications from government and conservation agencies are also available for the public. The Centre has a small theatrette showing video tapes of feeding sessions and general natural history documentaries.

The Resort conducts weekly children's activities to foster their knowledge of dolphins and awareness of environmental issues such as pollution. Slide presentations and talks are given to provide interested guests with a broader understanding of dolphin behaviour and needs.

The Centre provides office facilities for the research team, acting as a base for researchers to collate and process data. Every oppotunity is taken to give people an understanding of the needs of wild dolphins and thereby encourage them to take steps to preserve the environment.

How to get there ?

To begin your stay in paradise, climb aboard our 200 seater catamaran, the Tangalooma Flyer and enjoy a relaxing cruise across Moreton Bay. As the launch approaches, just 75 minutes later, one is greeted by clear turquoise waters and an endless stretch of sandy white beach.  Nestled amongst the palm and pandanus is Tangalooma Moreton Island Resort. This catamaran service goes twice daily from Brisbane to Moreton Island and back (see timetable). 

Tangalooma Flyer timetable is as follows;

Courtesy Bus

There is a courtesy in Brisbane conecting picking up guests from the Airport, railway- and busstation and from certain hotels. The coach operates every day except Christmas Day. The courtesy bus does not meet the 12 noon boat (on Saturdays) or any evening service from the Resort.

Important notes:

Launch times may vary. Please confirm all bookings with our Reception staff at least 24 hours prior to travel. "Evening Boat" does not have a set departure time. It departs soon after the completion of the Dolphin Feeding session. All guests must be ready for boarding as this service does not wait for late or missing passengers.