Cancellation Policy for Swim with Wild Dolphins & Shoalwater Safari Cruises

Bookings of 3 or less passengers - cancellations within 48 hours of departure are charged 50% of tour cost. Cancellations within 24 hours or failure to attend are charged at 100% of tour cost.

Bookings of 4 or more passengers - cancellations within 7 days of departure date are charged at 50% of tour cost. Cancellations within 48 hours of departure or failure to attend are charged 100% of tour cost. 

Cancellations must be made in writing (post, fax or email) and received by Rockingham Wild Encounters before the time constraints detailed within our Cancellations & Conditions policy. To avoid any miscommunications, requests for cancellations or amendments over the phone will not be accepted.

Please note to confirm a booking, we require the person booking the tour to provide valid credit card details which will be held until the day of the tour as security. Passengers can then pay on site on the day of the cruise using cash, credit card, eftpos or travellers cheques. In the event that a passenger fails to abide by these Cancellation & Conditions Policies, then the person who booked the tour gives their consent for Rockingham Wild Encounters Pty Ltd or their affiliated companies (Rockingham Dolphins WA Pty Ltd, Dolphin Watch Pty Ltd or Penguin Island Cruises Pty Ltd) to charge the appropriate amount to the credit card details used to secure the booking. Please also note that a 1.5% surcharge applies to Visa and Mastercard payments and a 2% surcharge applies to American Express payments.

It is the responsibility of the person booking the tour on behalf of any participants to ensure that the participants are aware of all conditions and cancellations policies relating to the tour. 

Conditions for Swim with Wild Dolphins Tour

Tour departures are subject to weather conditions.

Please be aware that our tours are visiting wild dolphins in their natural environment and passengers should never assume that our company has any control over the dolphins appearance or behaviour. Our crew will make every effort to ensure the best possible dolphin encounters on the day and based on previous experience we work on a better than 99% success rate, however, there are no guarantees or refunds in the event of not swimming with or sighting dolphins. In the unlikely event that we are unable to swim with or sight dolphins during a tour, passengers may rebook for another date (please note this offer is valid for 30 days and subject to availability).

All passengers participating in the Swim with Wild Dolphins tour will be required to sign a waiver of liability before our crew will allow them to enter the water. 

To view a copy of the waiver of liability, please click here.

In the interest of crew and passenger safety all Swim with Wild Dolphins cruises are conducted by crew and selected passengers wearing Shark Shields which generate an electric field that may affect the sensitivity of any person with a health condition such as heart disease, a history of heart problems, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, a history of fainting or epilepsy, lung disease or if the user is taking any prescription drugs that are administered for these conditions. People who have pacemakers or who are or might be pregnant must not use the device and should avoid swimming close to anyone using a device. Please note anyone that has a pre existing condition as noted above where possible we will endeavour to limit your contact with the shark shield,  however we suggest that anyone who has such a listed condition that you read the Terms & Conditions in full and should you  still have concerns please seek medical advice highlighting your activity & concerns in relation to swimming in the vicinity of a shark shield prior to your booking date as we will not alter our safety procedures by discontinuing the use of the shark shield for the sake of the other patrons & staff. As this tour has always been popular with pregnant women we have sought further advice from Shark Shield regarding the potential risks to pregnant women and received the following information from Peter Gap (Manager, Shark Shield in Australia): 

‘I suspect that it is a case of erring on the side of caution, I can understand the warning about pacemakers/internal defibrillators as there is a possibility of direct electrical stimulation which I can understand may be an issue, but I can’t really see the issue with pregnancy.  We do know that there is no penetrating RF type radiation given off by the units, the shock that you can get is a purely surface potential difference. ‘


Conditions for Penguin Island Ferry, Penguin & Sea Lion Cruise and the Shoalwater Safari

Please be aware that on our Shoalwater Safari, we are visiting wild dolphins in their natural environment and passengers should never assume that our company has any control over the dolphins appearance or behaviour. Our crew will make every effort to ensure the best possible dolphin encounters on the day and based on previous experience we work on a better than 99% success rate, however, there are no guarantees or refunds in the event of not sighting dolphins. In the unlikely event that we are unable to sight dolphins during a tour, passengers may rebook for another date (*note this offer is valid for 30 days and subject to availability)

Please be aware that some of the wildlife that frequent the marine park are seasonal (eg the sea lions migrate every 18 months for breeding) and while we do enjoy frequent encounters with them please understand that they are wild animals and we have no control over their appearance.

All passengers participating in the Shoalwater Safari will be required to sign a waiver of liability before our crew will allow them to participate. It is the responsibility of the person booking the tour on behalf of any participants to ensure that the participants are aware of all conditions and cancellations policies relating to the tour. To view a copy of the waiver of liability, please click here.

Although Penguin Island is home to WA’s largest breeding colony of little penguins they are naturally shy, secretive birds that spend most of the day at sea hunting or tucked away in their burrows. All penguin interaction components of our tours are conducted at the Discovery Centre to ensure that the wild population are not disturbed or pressured by visitors.

Discount Vouchers must be presented on purchasing tickets or sent in if pre purchasing tickets. Please be aware that discounts on cruises or tours that include entry to The Penguin Experience Discovery Centre do not apply to the portion of the ticket that covers the entry fee to the Discovery Centre. This is set by The Dept. of Environment and Conservation and is not discountable. 

Refunds or partial refunds on any cruise ticket that has been cancelled due to weather can only be obtained once the original ticket has been returned to the Rockingham Wild Encounters Gift Shop.