Dolphin Boats From La Preneuse and the West Coast: Five Trips — Which One?
5 min read
For swimmers who meet its participation requirements, book the La Preneuse dolphin and snorkelling speedboat: €45 per person, 4.7 stars from 113 reviews, 2–2.5 hours. The Grande Rivière Noire trip costs €65 per person and scores 4.9/5 from 76 reviews. If you want the dolphins plus a beach lunch, consider the 6–6.5-hour trip departing from Flic en Flac.
The five trips side by side
| Trip | Duration | From · booking basis | Rating · reviews | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Preneuse: Dolphin Swimming and Snorkelling Speedboat Trip | 2h 30m | €36 per person | 4.3 · 132 | a short trip, standard group up to 12 |
| La Preneuse: Dolphin Watching and Snorkelling Speedboat Tour | 2 – 2.5 hours | €45 per person | 4.7 · 113 | swimmers who meet the restrictions below |
| Grande Rivière Noire: Boat Tour and Swimming with Dolphins | 2 hours | €65 per person | 4.9 · 76 | a group limited to 8 |
| Black River: Swim with Dolphin Speed Boat Tour with Lunch | 6–6.5 hours | €63; confirm price unit and selected option | 4.3 · 318 | dolphins plus a beach lunch, departing Flic en Flac |
| Benitier Island: Swim with Dolphins, Speedboat and BBQ | 7 hours | €63.75 per person | 4.0 · 189 | a long day with drinks, departing Tamarin |
The short boats: gear, group size and departure point
Both La Preneuse trips describe dolphin swimming or snorkelling in the wild. The Dolphin Swimming trip normally meets at La Preneuse Beach but may exceptionally use Tamarin; confirm the meeting instruction for your date. Both listings describe snorkelling equipment. The Dolphin Watching and Snorkelling tour specifically excludes non-swimmers, so its title should not be read as a watching-only option suitable for everyone. Compare 4.3 stars from 132 reviews for the Dolphin Swimming trip with 4.7 stars from 113 reviews for the Dolphin Watching and Snorkelling tour; read recent accounts alongside the participation requirements.
The Grande Rivière Noire boat costs €65 per person, lasts about two hours and adds fruit and water on board, with snorkelling gear provided. Its 4.9 stars come from 76 reviews; read the individual accounts as well as the score. Choose it if its eight-person limit and Grande Rivière Noire departure suit your plans.
Check dates for the Grande Rivière Noire dolphin swim
The boat days: lunch is the reason, not the dolphins
Both long trips go to Île aux Bénitiers, pass Crystal Rock and serve lunch; the dolphin swim is one stop among several. The 6–6.5-hour trip departs from Flic en Flac Public Beach, behind the temple and football playground, and includes a three-course barbecue with local drinks on Île aux Bénitiers. It has 318 reviews and a stated group limit of 15. The seven-hour Benitier Island trip costs €63.75 per person, rated 4.0/5 from 189 reviews, and also includes lunch and drinks. It departs from Tamarin. Although a highlight calls it a small-group experience, the group-size field allows up to 30 people; clarify the expected boat occupancy before booking. Choose between these boat days by departure point, group size and itinerary as well as the current reviews.
See availability for the 6–6.5-hour dolphin and lunch trip from Flic en Flac
Compared with the short boats, the longer trips add a meal and time on Île aux Bénitiers. Treat dolphin sightings as a possibility, not a guaranteed part of either format. If dolphins are the whole point, choose a short trip; if you also want a beach day, consider a boat day instead of booking both. The 6–6.5-hour listing is also the one to read alongside the Île aux Bénitiers boats.
What to check before booking
The Dolphin Watching and Snorkelling tour from La Preneuse excludes pregnant women, people with mobility impairments, wheelchair users, non-swimmers and people with epilepsy. The Dolphin Swimming trip excludes people with mobility impairments. The Grande Rivière Noire trip excludes children under three, pregnant women, people with back or mobility problems and cruise-ship guests; all participants must sign its online disclaimer. The Flic en Flac lunch trip excludes pregnant women and people with mobility impairments. Check the selected booking’s child eligibility and the policy if no dolphins are found. For the Flic en Flac lunch trip, pickup and drop-off can be arranged at an additional cost. For the other trips, check whether transport to the stated meeting point is included before relying on it. The Grande Rivière Noire operator sends the exact meeting time by WhatsApp 1–2 days beforehand and waits no more than 15 minutes for late arrivals. The law on how many swimmers may enter the water and when dolphin swims may be sold is the same for every boat here: it is set out in the rules for swimming with dolphins.
Which one to book
Take the €45-per-person La Preneuse speedboat if you can swim and meet its participation requirements. If you want the beach lunch, consider the 6–6.5-hour trip from Flic en Flac, with its stated limit of 15; check the quote and any pickup supplement.
