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Monday 11am - 4pm Tuesday 11am - 5pm Thursday 11am - 5pm Friday 11am - 5pm Saturday 11am - 5pm Sunday 11am - 5pm

WaterMaarq

Sea life through Dolphin eyes on WaterMaarq’s Awarded ethical Nature tours and freediving courses.
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Avoid the crowds with award-winning WaterMaarq Boat Tours on remarkable seal swim, dolphin watching and reef snorkelling tours and create shared life-long memories connected with the best of the Mornington Peninsula's marine environment. Limited to just 12 guests on tour, enjoy a more up close and personalised experience in the diverse waters of southern Port Phillip Bay in a small group. On board

the adventurous RIB boat, you'll zoom across the surface and enjoy uninterrupted views from the open deck vessel. Departing from Sorrento Pier, around a 1.5 hours drive from near Melbourne. Book online 24/7 and take your place on a wonderful adventure sightseeing or snorkelling on the waters of the Great Southern Reef.

15/12/2023

Are you ready to take flight for the holidays?
Our summer tours are filling fast.

Why not take advantage of Special Offers available now on our The Rip Seal Safari eco tour and make the most of time in the outdoors, for less!

Gift vouchers are available to share with your nearest and dearest too.

Jump online and see all the latest tour availability via the link:

https://watermaarq.com.au/dolphin-seal-sightsee-boat-tour/

07/12/2023

A very intrigued Bluethroat Wrasse approached us on a snorkelling tour and said, "Who else is coming to visit this summer holidays?".

05/12/2023

The silver blue light of a cloudy morning mirrors off the calm and glistening surface of the Sorrento waters.

A new day of adventures beckons.

04/12/2023

The Maersk Lome container ship makes way up the Port Phillip Bay ship's channel towards the Port of Melbourne.

Did you know that the Port of Melbourne is the largest container and general cargo port in Australasia and one of the top four container ports in the southern hemisphere?

In terms of cargo, the port handles around 3.2million twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) containers each year. A large container ship might transport around 18,000 TEU, and for the Maersk Lome, with its 255 metre length and 37 metre beam (breadth), it has a deadweight tonnage of over 65,000 tonnes (this is the sum of all the weight including cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast, provisions and crew).

How long is the ship? At 255 metres, you could compare this to the length of the MCG field, which is 171m long.

It's fascinating to see these huge ships as they navigate through our local waters and wonder in amazement at their ability to float.

03/12/2023

Those Monday mornings... Australian Fur Seals sure know how to have a good rest and fall into deep sleep in the most unlikely of places.

03/12/2023

A young Australasian Gannet looks skywards, anticipating arrival of its next feed.

It will first leave the nest around 100 days after hatching, but until then it is totally reliant upon the shared responsibility the parents take for feeding duties.

The Popes Eye Marine Park gannetry, or breeding site, is a natural wonder of Port Phillip Bay.

It will take the young birds from 2-5 years to gain their adult plumage. And as they develop their independence, they will begin to soar 10m or more above the surface, herding fish into shoals and then diving into the water at great velocity with their wings folded back. A successful catch will be grasped intently, aided by the small backward-pointing serrations along the edges of the bill.

Come and admire these incredible seabirds as their life unfolds in front of your very eyes.

02/12/2023

Dreaming of a long hot summer spent exploring the sea.

📷 Snorkelling the Popes Eye Marine Park whilst on tour with WaterMaarq. Pic by former IT-Exec turned seachanger and freediving instructor .

01/12/2023

Home to more than 80 Bottlenose Dolphins, Port Phillip Bay provides a habitat that sustains the daily needs for this small and vulnerable population of dolphins, also referred to as Burrunan Dolphins.

During each tour you'll see the site of the Ticonderoga Dolphin Sanctuary, which is located in front of the former Quarantine Station at Point Nepean National Park.

The sanctuary zone, the only one in the entire 1950 km2 of Port Phillip Bay (which happens to be the largest enclosed seawater embayment in the Southern Hemisphere), is a significant place for the dolphins as they often feed, rest and socialise in the area due to the availability of food and its protected nature.

We're very fortunate that the dolphins have chosen to call the bay home and it's always an absolute joy to see them when they appear on tour along the Mornington Peninsula coast.

30/11/2023

Salty air and windswept hair.

All that you need to remember a fun adventure out in the big blue.

A magical day scouting the southern waters of Port Phillip Bay and the Mornington Peninsula coastline.

30/11/2023

Salty life. Take the plunge! 🤿🦭

Swimming with seals is probably one of the most fun and exhilarating marine wildlife interactions you can enjoy as they like to play.

29/11/2023

Summertime vibes shared with your Besties.

Imagine seeing (and smelling) Australian Fur Seals for your first time on a boat tour!

Such a fun and easy way to get up close and personal with the wilds of Nature.

Gift vouchers available all season long for your favourite outdoor adventurer partners in wild.

Check out watermaarq.com.au for the details and to purchase a Gift Voucher by tour or dollar value.

29/11/2023

Originally hunted to the brink of extinction. Now they're a wholly protected species and a highlight of every WaterMaarq boat tour.

It's hard to believe but these most engaging and entertaining furry puppy dogs of the sea were hunted to the brink of extinction last century, sought after for their fur coat, or pelt. Numbering in their hundreds of thousands initially from the coast of NSW down to Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia, their population was decimated and thought to only number in tens of thousands.

The Australian Fur Seal is nowadays considered the fourth-rarest seal species in the world, and in terms of physical size, it is the largest of all fur seal species.

And you can see up to around 80 of these wonderful creatures right here in Port Phillip Bay, both on a sightsee or snorkelling tour!

It's amazing to consider how welcoming they are, given the torrid history human actions have taken upon them.

The seals you observe on tour are completely wild and without influences like feeding or touching. We also limit our time spent visiting them so as not to disturb their rest, feeding and social behaviours, to ensure they remain wild and free to choose to interact with us or not.

Come and admire these incredibly resilient, playful and fun creatures to watch in their habitat in the waters of the Mornington Peninsula on a sightseeing cruise from Sorrento Pier.

Visit the links in bio for more tour information and bookings.

28/11/2023

Snorkelling the diverse reef systems of the Mornington Peninsula waters is the easiest way to enter another foreign world.

Let us share the beauty of the Great Southern Reef with you, above and below.

Discover Weedy Seadragons, Stingrays, colourful fish, ribbons of kelp and strands of seaweed. Even swim with Australian Fur Seals and the chance to encounter Bottlenose Dolphins.

On tour you'll enjoy a small group of only 10x swimmers aboard our fun RIB boat, for a more personalised experience.

Book online via the link in bio.

28/11/2023

It's currently breeding season for the Australasian Gannets and that's a bonus for guests on board.

Instead of travelling to offshore islands or hard to get to places on the Australian coast, you can observe these beautiful sea birds on tour every day at their local breeding colony.

Normally you might see them in the distance swirling high in the air above the sea as they herd the schools of pilchards and anchovies before plunging like missiles into the water to catch their prey within their serrated beak.

When you step aboard a WaterMaarq sightseeing cruise you'll see them even as close as 5 metres away, which gives you a spectacular view of the iridescent blue eye-liner around their eyes.

Visit during the breeding season and you'll also observe the fluffy gannet chicks being reared by their attentive parents on the nest.

It's amazing to soak up all the natural beauty that surrounds us, if we make the time to look up.

27/11/2023

Not just a place of convenience is the departure at Sorrento Pier, but an area of significance.

Not far from the pier is in fact the site of Victoria's first European settlement that was established in 1803, before Melbourne began to rise up in 1835.

So when you walk out the pier to meet us for a sightseeing boat cruise, you also walk the same planks that holiday makers in the 1870s traversed as they stepped off the paddle steamers bringing them from Melbourne to holiday in the region.

This, however, pales into a tiny string of the region's history when you consider the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation acted as caretakers of this land and sea country for at least the last 40,000 years.

When you join WaterMaarq on tour, you'll not only view beautiful coastline, stunning wildlife and the vastness of Port Phillip Bay, but you'll also immerse in a place of cultural significance and important elements of Nature.

For a limited time join a sightsee cruise for less. More details on the sightseeing tour webpage.

26/11/2023

Ready to take the plunge?

Come along and explore the waters of southern Port Phillip Bay. Sometimes they even appear tropical!

See more in less time on our fun and faster RIB boat.

Book in early to secure your place on a summer adventure.

Only 12x places per tour! Grab yours before they sell out.

watermaarq.com.au

📷 snapped by Freediving Instructor Trainer, Snorkel Guide Instructor, and Breathwork Coach on Z6ii camera in underwater housing.

19/10/2023

Thanks to Kerry and the adventurous buccaneers of the crew who shared with Captain a beautiful day exploring the waters of the and southern Port Phillip Bay. What an absolute treat the Spring sunshine is!

Join on a sightseeing or snorkelling tour and soak up the joy of the outdoors all for yourself too.

Last chance for tomorrow's bookings, today.

Book now! ⬇️

💻📲 watermaarq.com.au

21/09/2023

OCEAN ADVENTURERS COURSE

Sunday 22 October
Portsea VIC

The thought of simply diving into the water with just your mask, snorkel and fins, free from all the cumbersome equipment, moving fluidly and gracefully closer to the marine life, that’s your dream.

When you take the Ocean Adventure Course, it takes you one step closer.

Tap the Link in Bio to find out more and register.

Led by professional freediving instructor, , with over 10-years full-time teaching experience. Marlon has reached the highest level of freediving instruction attainable and is a certified PADI Freediving Instructor Trainer. He is a qualified trainer in snorkelling and snorkel guiding. He is also a certified Oxygen Advantage instructor and cycling coach for sports performance.

📷 Ocean Adventurer Lola explores the coastal sea caves on one single breath. Pic by Marlon.

Address

Berth 1, Sorrento Pier, Esplanade
Melbourne, VIC
3943

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 4pm
Tuesday	11am - 5pm
Thursday	11am - 5pm
Friday	11am - 5pm
Saturday	11am - 5pm
Sunday	11am - 5pm

Website

https://watermaarq.com.au/

Alerts

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Videos

Friendly dolphins say hello! It puts a smile on your face every time you see them. 😁🐬 . . . #dolphins #burrunan #bottlenosedolphin #melbourne #ecotour #summer #holiday

This trio of Australian Fur Seals showed us their best synchronised swimming routine. A classic experience on WaterMaarq tour to savour. And a lucky one to capture. You never know what surprises you'll encounter on tour, every day is different. Actually, things are never the same! And that's the beauty of the wildlife. . . . . #seals #synchronised #swimming #marinelife #outdoors #nature #wildlife #travel

Explore together and create lasting moments seeing the coolest marine animals of the Mornington Peninsula, including Australian Fur Seals and Bottlenose Dolphins. Visit WaterMaarq for more information and bookings. Departing Sorrento Pier VIC, Australia . . . #together #explore #seals #dolphins #melbourne #seeaustralia #boatlife

When your Dolphin pals get the zoomies. It doesn't happen every day, but when it does, it's the best!! BOOK NOW and give yourself the opportunity for a wildlife experience to savour. SPECIAL OFFERS and bookings via the website. Jump on board for your own zoomie experience aboard the WaterMaarq fun RIB boat, Apollo. Booking today for tomorrow! . . . . #dolphins #morningtonpeninsula #thingstodomelbourne #ecotour #boattour #fun #samsunglife #samsunggalaxy

When the local Port Phillip Bay Dolphins choose to come and say hello to you on the boat, it's one of life's simple and beautiful pleasures! . . . . #dolphins #ecotourism #morningtonpeninsula #visitvictoria #australia

On Tour Swimming with Seals

Nothing puts a smile on your face more than when these incredible swimmers with the furry coats put on a show! See Australian Fur Seals in their natural territory and enjoy a few moments in their home as they invite you into their playground for a dip. Please join us on our 2hr Seal and Dolphin Swim Reef Snorkel Tour. watermaarq.com.au . . . . #ecotour #ecofriendly #friendly #Morningtonpeninsula #visitmp #visitvictoria #seals #furseals #australia #greatsouthernreef #summervibes #snorkelling #ribboat #ecotourism #underwater

On Tour Swimming with Seals

POPES EYE SKINDIVER TOUR Those days when it's so clear that the visibility in Port Phillip Bay is like 11/10 and you get confused that you might really be swimming around underwater in the tropics. What's not to love about the beauty of the cooler Victorian waters of the #greatsouthernreef ? Summer surprises are the best! Even if it is 18c in the water. But look at that BLUE!! Guided and filmed by PADI Freediving Instructor Trainer @marlon_quinn . . . . . #skindiving #snorkelling #portphillipbay #seeaustralia #uwvideo #goprohero11 #fish #marinelife #blue #summer #summervibes #snorkelling #ecotour #ecotourism #morningtonpeninsula #visitmp #visitmelbourne

Not only does the Popes Eye Marine Park tour for advanced snorkelers give you the opportunity to be photo-bombed by heaps of fish and skindiving humans exploring the reef, you'll also receive expert tips, advice and technical knowledge on skindiving technique from PADI Freediving Instructor Trainer @marlon_quinn . There's an abundance of new fun underwater discoveries awaiting you! . . . . #skindiving #portphillipbay #marinepark #skindiver #ecotour #training #snorkelling #learning #ecotour #morningtonpeninsula #greatsouthernreef #visitvictoria #seeaustralia

Doesn't every living thing know that there's nothing more special than a deep look into your eyes? . . . . . #dolphins #morningtonpeninsula #dolphinwatching #dolphintour #ecotourism #burrunan #bottlenosedolphin #underwater #boattour #ecofriendly

Shortcuts

WaterMaarq

Award winning WaterMaarq boat tours operate from the lovely seaside town of Sorrento on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula in southern Australia. Providing boutique up close seal, whale and dolphin watching tours, and reef snorkelling adventures, you'll discover the beauty of the environment above and below the water. WaterMaarq's personalised approach gives you the confidence to enjoy life-changing marine wildlife experiences.