We have clean, quiet rooms and a fantastic outdoor garden and BBQ area. Free Breakfast, Free Wi-Fi, Free Parking, Free Cake n Coffee and more! Only 100m from the beach and from the town centre, what more could you want!

If you are looking for an amazing Australian experience then you have found it here! If you want to get started and learn about holidaying in Australia or if you are an experienced traveller, this program is great for you.

You may be interested in our Australian Dolphin conservation-tourism program that has been in operation for over 20 years? In Spring and Summer time now in Western Australia, the sun is shining, the days are warm and our famous wild Dolphins are visiting us daily. On our Dolphin Program you will learn about life in Australia and with experiencing the beauty and nature of Dolphins in a natural, friendly and supportive environment.

 

Details about the Dolphin Program

  1. Bunbury is famous for viewing Dolphins and has a dedicated and famous Dolphin Discovery Centre (non-profit centre) where people from around the world have been volunteering their time to experience the amazing feeling of working with the Dolphins. The International Dolphin program has been operating for 20 years and has
  2. The Wander Inn Bunbury hostel provides accommodation at a discounted price to those who participate with the Dolphin Program. I have been doing this for many years. The discounted price allows your organisation to keep the price down for you to encourage participation and also rewards you for their efforts in volunteering your time.
  3. The Dolphin Centre have a very well established volunteer program with all participants loving their experience and many returning to Bunbury again in later years!
  4. In summary, The Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury provide the Dolphin Program and the volunteers stay at Wander Inn Bunbury hostel..

 

More Information

The Dolphin Discovery Centre is committed to Conservation, Education, Tourism  & Research of our local population of wild bottlenose dolphins, and our volunteers are a highly valued & vital part of our organisation. Our volunteer program attracts about 100 international volunteers and 100 local volunteers each year. I do get a lot of applications, but during the summer we need a lot of short term volunteers to support our long term volunteer team during the busy months, so we have many positions to fill.

 

Requirements

  • Our minimum commitment for short term volunteers is 20 hours per week for 6 weeks. The main requirements to be a volunteer here are to be able stay for 6 weeks, to speak English fluently, to have the ability to work as part of a team & to have a big smile.
  • The best time to be at the Dolphin Centre is from October to April as we usually have beautiful weather, lots of human & dolphin visitors, lots of international volunteers and it is our swim tour season. The dolphin numbers in Koombana Bay decrease during winter but they start to return during September when our weather improves. We do accept volunteers during the winter, as we are open all through the year, but it is not as much fun for the volunteers during our winter months.
  • Over 80% of our volunteers time is spent talking to visitors or helping around the centre, & in the winter months this percentage is even higher. During summer volunteers have the opportunity to train to be a swim tour volunteer, assisting our swim host on our Swim On The Wild Side tours.
  • Participation in our volunteer program will require you to talk to visitors from all over the world  explaining the Dolphin Discovery Centres aims and objectives, assist in the management of the Interaction Zone during dolphin visits to ensure the dolphins are managed safely and informatively, assist with dolphin observations in the Bay, assisting our Marine Biologist on our Swim On The Wild Side dolphin swim tours, tour guiding through the Interpretive Centre, exhibiting our aquaria & playing movies at allotted times, general maintenance and cleaning of the Dolphin Discovery Centre grounds and buildings, assisting with care and maintenance of our Marine Aquariums, participating in Events, Festivals and Open Days and also assisting with various tasks around the Centre. their work is centred around tourism and educating our visitors and we do not have any captive dolphins or other marine mammals. If the wild dolphins visit our beach then the volunteers enter the water with them and manage the visit, ensuring the public stand quietly and enjoy the privilege of being so close to a wild animal. Nobody ever touches or trains the wild dolphins that visit.

 

Activities of a Volunteer

  • Talking to visitors on the beach ‐ explaining what the DDC does
  • Assisting to manage the Interaction Zone when dolphins visit
  • Managing Dolphin Discovery Room area.
  • Assisting with the research program recording observations in the bay and monitoring of dolphin visits
  • to the zone.
  • Inputting the research data into databases for analysis.
  • Assisting with the care and maintenance of our Aquariums.
  • General maintenance and cleaning.
  • Tour guiding through the Interpretive Centre for the general public, tour groups and school students
  • Participating in ’’Coast Care” activities and assist with current research projects