India is home to some of the most beautiful aquatic animals in the world. With its two subspecies of South Asian river dolphin i.e. Ganges river dolphin and Indus river dolphin, India encompasses some of the best dolphin viewing destinations. The Ganges river dolphins are found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries and the rest of the places are famous for oceanic dolphins, Irrawaddy dolphin, and Bottlenose dolphins.
Here we curated the list of best places to spot Dolphins in India. These places are best one to spot Indian Breed Dolphins.
Dolphin Viewing Spots in India
List of Best places to spot Dolphins in India:
1. Goa
Indeed, Goa is one of the most beautiful beach holiday destinations in India that has plenty of treasures in its fold to astound the visitors. Ranging from its golden sandy beaches to tranquil ambiance, it also offers tourists a lifetime opportunity to spot dolphins in the Arabian Sea. Apart from this, visitors can also enjoy some other amazing water creatures. Visitors can also enjoy the ultimate sight of dancing dolphins. However, it is worth mentioning that dolphin sighting in Goa is ideal in the morning time. There are plenty of beaches in Goa to enjoy dolphin sightseeing. Tourists can also do equally enthralling activities like sunbathing, clubbing, houseboat cruising, shopping, water sports, trekking, scuba diving and much more.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Palolem Beach, Coco Beach, Cavelossim Beach, Sinquerim Beach, Morjim Beach.
Best Time to visit: October to May
Type of Species: Ocean Dolphins
How to reach: The nearest international airport is the Dabolim, which is situated near Vasco da Gama. Visitors have to cover a distance of about 29 kilometers off Panaji to reach to the airport.
2. Andaman Island
Andaman offers a unique way for tourists to see dolphins. Here visitors can see these gorgeous marine creatures beneath the water with the help of spacious and stylish glass bottom boat as Andaman allows tourists to unveil the underwater world without diving into the ocean. However, Andaman is one of the best dolphin sighting locations in the world where visitors can spot lovely aquatic creatures, and can also have fun and adventure. There are numerous other exciting activities to do in Andaman including snorkelling, scuba diving, riding a banana boat, parasailing, bird watching, and kayaking.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Lalaji Bay Beach, Jolly Buoy Island and Havelock Island.
Best Time to visit: March to June
Type of Species: Irrawaddy Dolphins
How to reach: Visitors can have access to direct daily flights to Port Blair from Delhi, Mumbai, etc.
3. Lakshadweep
Famed for its beautiful coastal destination and some amazing beach fun and enthralling water sports, Lakshadweep is a perfect destination for those who love dolphin sighting. To catch a fantastic glimpse of whooshing dolphins, visitors have to sail out in the ocean to see these gorgeous creatures showing off their skills of diving. Apart from dolphin sighting, visitors can also enjoy some other enduring water sports such as jet skiing, kayaking, canoeing, snorkelling, scuba diving, yachting, parasailing, undersea walking, sea fishing and much more.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Agatti Island, Kadmat Island and Bangaram Island.
Best Time to visit: October to May
Type of Species: Bottlenose Dolphins
How to reach: Visitors can avail ship services from Cochin.
4. Maharashtra
Being one of the coastal states in India, Maharashtra encompasses numerous scenic beaches that make it an ideal destination for dolphin sighting. Popularly known as Dapoli, it is the most beautiful location in Maharashtra that serves as the gateway to several beaches where dolphin sighting is possible. Apart from this, Murud Beach, Tarkarli Beach, Kuravde Beach, Dabhol Port, and Harihareshwar are some other popular destinations in Maharashtra where visitors can have fantastic experiences with dolphins. Also, Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, these places are also some of the must-visit destinations in Maharashtra to have a peaceful vacation.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Tarkarli Beach, Harihareshwar, Murud Beach, Dabhol Port, Kuravde Beach, Bhogwe Beach, Anjarle Beach, Nivati Beach and Ladghar Beach.
Best time to visit: November to February
Type of Species: Ocean Dolphins
How to reach: Visitors can use all modes of transportation via rail, road, air, and sea. Maharashtra’s domestic airports are located in Mumbai i.e. Santa Cruz Domestic Airport. There are also railway stations in Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Kolhapur etc.
5. Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu, one of the best spots to explore adorable creatures is also a perfect destination where visitors can have a fantastic glimpse of popping dolphins. There are numerous cities and towns in Tamil Nadu that offers amazing opportunities for dolphin sightseeing. One such is the majestic town of Rameshwaram, which is not only famed for its sacred significance but is also an ideal destination to catch the sights of dolphins.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Rameshwaram Beach, Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, and The Gulf of Mannar National Park.
Best Time to visit: November to March
Type of Species: Bottlenose Dolphins, Common Dolphins, Risso’s Dolphins, and Spinner Dolphins.
How to reach: The nearest airport to Kanyakumari is the Trivandrum International Airport. Visitors can also reach by train, road/self Drive.
6. Odhisa
Odisha, famous for its largest freshwater lake in the world, is also home to some of the most beautiful locations for dolphins sightseeing. A small part near brackish water lagoon, Chilika Lake, called Satapada, is famous for dolphin sighting while the entire place is famous for bird watching. Apart from this, here visitors can also enjoy kayaking, canoeing, and boating in the waters to spot the famous Irrawaddy Dolphins. Also, visitors can also opt to explore other parts of Chilika Lake for some enthralling bird watching experience.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Satapada in Chilika Lake.
Best Time to visit: November to February
Type of Species: Gangetic Dolphins and Irrawaddy Dolphins
How to reach: Biju Patnaik Airport at Bhubaneswar is the best way to reach Odisha (Orissa) by air. Visitors can also reach via railway network.
7. Kerala
Famed for its exotic backwaters, serene beaches, and gorgeous hill stations, Kerala is the perfect location to experience the best sights of whooshing dolphins. For this, visitors can hire a boat to sail into the ocean water to have the glimpse of these dolphins. Apart from this, the majestic state of Kerala offers a lot of things to discover such as houseboat cruising and shikara ride in Alleppey, exploring Neelakurinji Bloom in Munnar ( usually once in 12 years), coffee estates in Wayanad, bird watching in Kumarakom, swim in the Arabian Sea and much more.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Cherai Beach
Best Time to visit: November to March
Type of Species: Humpback Dolphins
How to reach: There are two railway stations in Cochin – Ernakulam Town Station and Ernakulam Junction Station. From the railway station, one can board a bus, a taxi or a cab to reach the required destination in Cochin.
8. Karnataka
Destined as one of the best destinations for dolphin spotting in India, Karnataka offers vast expanses of sand, trees, water, beaches to make it an ideal spot for fantastic sights of dolphins. Karwar Beach and Gokarna Beach are the best destinations in Karnataka to enjoy the poppings of dolphin. Apart from this, visitors can also go for Trekking, silk shopping, skydiving, camping, river rafting, surfing, and parasailing in Karnataka.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Om Beach, Devbagh Beach, Kudle Beach, Kurumgad Island, Murudeshwar Beach and Paradise Beach.
Best Time to visit: October to February
Type of Species: Humpback Dolphins
How to reach: Major railway station in Karnataka is in Bangalore. Visitors can have access to the maximum number of trains to reach Karnataka.
9. Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is also one of the best destinations to spot dolphins in India that offers dazzling sights of gorgeous marine creatures. Chambal River is the best Dolphin watching destination in Uttar Pradesh. Apart from dolphin sighting, the majestic state of Uttar Pradesh also offers an array of enthralling experiences.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Chambal River, Katarniaghat Sanctuary, Sarah River in Ayodhya, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Hamirpur, Garhmukteshwar, Ekdala, Banda, Chilla, and Fatehpur.
Best Time to visit: October to February
Type of Species: Gangetic Dolphins
10. Diu
The coastal territory of Diu is also a fantastic place where visitors can spot whopping dolphins in the ocean waters. Apart from dolphins, it also offers an amazing variety of marine life. For this, visitors can hire a boat from the Okha Port to Beyt Dwarka island. In fact, Dunny Point is one such spot which offers a good opportunity to see dolphins. Besides, dolphin sightseeing Birdwatching, cave hopping, water sports, and nature expedition are some popular things to do in Diu.
Places to Spot Dolphins: Marine Wildlife Sanctuary and Beyt Dwarka
Best Time to visit: November to March
Type of Species: Humpback dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, and Common Dolphins.
How to reach: Una is the nearest railway station, which is 12 km from Diu. The nearest railhead of Diu is located at Veraval (90 Km) connected to Ahmedabad, which is 370 km.
11. Bihar
Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary is located in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar is India’s first dolphin observatory. This place is a 50 km stretch which was established in the year 1991. This place has an aim to conserve the river dolphins.
Places to Spot Dolphins in Bihar: Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bhagalpur district.
Best Time for Dolphin Safari in Bihar: October to May
Type of Species: Gangetic Dolphins
12. West Bengal
Sundarban is the only place where you can see dolphins and the Royal Bengal tiger at the same place. Dolphins can be spotted in the Hooghly River in Kolkata and Tajpur Beach in Purba Medinipur. Sunderbans is one of the most perfect dolphin-spotting destinations in India.
Places to Spot Dolphins in West Bengal: Sundarbans National Park, Hooghly River in Kolkata and Tajpur Beach.
Best Time for Dolphin Safari in West Bengal: November to February
Type of Species: Gangetic Dolphins and Irrawaddy Dolphins.
Read More, Top National Parks in India Best fit for Safari
Dolphins are the cutest and most friendly creature in the world. If you are also one of those people who loves animals especially water animals then this list of Place to See Dolphins in India is for you. You will get amaze after spotting this beautiful creature.
