Terms and Conditions
Privacy policy
Your right to privacy and data security is important to us.
Information collected by us in the course of you booking a tour will be kept strictly confidential and will not be sold, re-used, rented, disclosed or loaned. We will not release any personal information to persons or entities without your explicit consent unless we are required by law to do so.
Our Services
- Snorkelling with marine wildlife which may include dolphins, seals and reef swims.
- Sightseeing trips. Passengers may share the tour with snorkelers.
- Educational tours.
- Wildlife tours.
- Private charters.
Your tour is subject to Polperro Dolphin Swims’ terms and conditions of travel.
These terms and conditions are as follows:
Tour start-time
Unless otherwise specified; tour start times are 8am and 12pm.
Tour duration
Tours – from the time of check-in – are between 3 to 4 hours (this excludes tailored charters).
Check-in time
Please meet the boat at the end of Sorrento pier and check-in 30 minutes before your tour start time. The boat will not wait for latecomers so please arrive on time. Check-in times are 7:30 am for the 8 am tour and 11:30 am for the 12 pm tour.
At check-in, swimmers will be asked to complete a participant consent form, provide an emergency contact and outline any relevant medical conditions.
Please allow extra time for your journey to Sorrento and to find a car park over the busy summer months.
Car parking at the base of Sorrento pier is ticketed parking and is $1 per hour. We recommend purchasing half day parking from the Searoad Ferries office. Free parking can be found outside the Sorrento Hotel.
Tour cancellation due to weather
Tours may be cancelled due to bad weather. Please ring the office on the day for a final weather check on (03) 59888 437 or 0428 174 160.
In the event of a tour being cancelled due to weather, you may choose to reschedule or receive a full refund.
If you decide to cancel your tour
Polperro chooses to take smaller group sizes below our legal carrying capacity for the benefit of our guests and out of respect for the fragile marine environment in which we work.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your tour, please inform us of your plans as early as possible.
Any bookings cancelled within 48 hours or failure to check-in on the day of a tour will incur total forfeiture of tour fees unless we are able to book those places to other guests. If we are able fill those places, you will only have to pay a 5% administration fee (excludes third party bookings which have their own conditions).
If you miss your tour or need to cancel within the 48-hour period, please phone our office on (03) 59888 437 to discuss. We are aware that sometimes things which are completely out of your control suddenly impact travel plans.
What to bring
Please bring warm clothing, a waterproof jacket, hat and sunscreen.
Swimmers should bring bathers and a towel (please arrive with a bathing suit on already under your clothes).
What is supplied
Morning or afternoon tea is provided. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and water is complimentary.
Wetsuits, masks, snorkels and fins are provided.
Instructors and guides.
A fully crewed passenger vessel conducting tours under permits and licenses from Parks Victoria, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Planning and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
Fitness and Experience
Participants entering the water should be physically and medically fit to engage in open, deep, cool water activities. (Please feel free to discuss any concerns with our office by phone on (03) 59888 437 or email crew@polperro.com.au).
Entry to and exit from the water is via a dive ladder.
Children are welcome to participate but must be willing to enter open, deep, cool water. Our staff offer supervision and snorkelling skills are taught prior to in-water activities.
Polperro reserves the right to advise against entering the water if the participant cannot safely enter and exit the water to participate in an enjoyable experience. We advise against consuming alcohol prior to your trip.
Gift vouchers
If you have a gift voucher please contact our office to schedule your tour by phone (03) 59888 437 or email crew@polperro.com.au before the tour. If you have a particular date in mind, be sure to book your tour well before that time.
Gift vouchers are non-refundable, however if you cannot use the voucher yourself within the valid time, you may give the voucher to another person. That person’s details must be supplied to the office.
Gift Vouchers are valid for 3 years after the issue date. If your voucher has expired, please contact the office. Vouchers may be extended. In most circumstances, an administration fee will apply.
If your tour is cancelled due to bad weather, we are happy to extend the validity of your voucher until a time when you are able to reschedule.
Booking Agents
Tours are also sold through other booking agents.
Your booking confirmation and travel documents are supplied from the agent you booked through.
Polperro Dolphin Swims’ obligation is to supply the purchased activity subject to our terms and conditions. Refunds and activity changes are to be sought directly through the agent you have booked and paid with.
We have no responsibility for the service you receive from an outside agent, nor do we give warranty or representation regarding their standards. All bookings are made subject to their terms and conditions and limitations by these providers. Your legal recourse is against the specific agent and not Polperro Dolphin Swims and Charter Services Pty Ltd.
Right to change
Polperro Dolphin Swims reserves the right to make changes, modifications, additions, deletions and corrections to the website and brochure information at any time without notice.
Onboard Polperro
Passengers travelling aboard our tour vessel do so at their own risk and are subject to inherent risks involved with snorkelling and sightseeing at sea. Risks include, but not limited to: equipment failure; perils of the sea; harm by marine life; harm from fellow passengers and participants; boarding or disembarking the boat. Passengers agree to assume such risks.
Wildlife
Polperro Dolphin Swims offers authentic wildlife experiences and interactions cannot be guaranteed. We have over 30 years of experience working with Port Phillip Bay’s dolphins and seals. We believe this experience and knowledge provides you with the best opportunity for a safe, rewarding and memorable ecotourism experience.
On-line bookings terms and conditions
A booking may be moved at no additional cost if done so more than 48 hours prior to your tour and provided there is availability on alternate dates. This must be done by contacting the office directly by phone or email.
Cancellation of on-line bookings will incur a 5% administration fee.
Any bookings cancelled within 48 hours or failure to check-in on the day of the tour will incur total forfeiture of tour fees unless we are able to book those places to other guests. If we are able to fill those places, you will only have to pay a 5% administration fee (excludes third party bookings which have their own conditions).