On 18 June 2026, off the south-east coast of Djerba, bottlenose dolphins swam around and beneath the boat on our trip out to sea. Among them were a mother and her calf. If you are planning a family holiday in Djerba, one of your children may already have asked you: “Will we see dolphins?” I can’t promise you they will. What I can do is tell you about that trip, and explain how to try your own luck during your stay at Ethic Village Djerba. The footage of that moment is a little further down.
Ahmed Redissi, founder of Ethic Village Djerba
18 June 2026: a mother and her calf, all around the boat
That day, we were spoiled. We were out at sea off the south-east coast of Djerba, between El Kantara and Aghir, on a private boat trip that Ethic Village Djerba had arranged with a trusted partner, when a group of bottlenose dolphins came to meet us.
They swam around the boat, then underneath it, right up against the hull. A mother and her calf were among them.
The children on board came home with a memory they won’t forget any time soon.
Here is that moment, in under a minute.
The “There it is!” you can hear in the video? That’s my voice.
Which dolphins can you see around Djerba?
The bottlenose dolphin, a regular in the Gulf of Gabès
The dolphins we met were bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Djerba lies in the Gulf of Gabès, where bottlenose dolphins were found to be abundant in a survey carried out in 2003 and published by Tunisia’s National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM).
An adult measures 2 to 4 metres. Bottlenose dolphins usually live in groups.
Four things to tell the children
On the way back, the children will probably have questions. Here is what you need to answer them:
- Every dolphin has its own whistle. In its first months, it develops a whistle that belongs to it alone, a bit like a name. Other dolphins can copy it to call out to it, and it answers.
- The calf stays with its mother for a long time. It lives by her side for 3 to 6 years and suckles for around 20 months.
- It sleeps with half its brain. For deep sleep, a dolphin rests only one half of its brain at a time. The other half stays alert, so it can come up to breathe and keep watch.
- A mammal, not a fish. Dolphins breathe air, just like us. That is why you see them coming back to the surface again and again.
“And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you.”
Surah Al-An’am (6), verse 38, Sahih International translation
Elsewhere around Djerba: Ajim and Ras R’mel
18 June wasn’t a first. I have often spotted dolphins in two other places:
- From the Ajim ferry. The “battah”, as the ferry is known locally, links Ajim to Jorf on the mainland. Keep an eye on the water during the crossing.
- Around Ras R’mel, the wild sandy spit nicknamed Flamingo Island, which you reach by boat from the harbour at Houmt Souk.
There too, nothing is guaranteed: these are chance encounters, not appointments.
Are you sure to see dolphins in Djerba?
We cannot guarantee you dolphins. They are wild animals, free to go wherever they please. On 18 June 2026, they came. On another trip, the sea may stay empty, and that is perfectly normal. Of the guests who have taken this trip with us, roughly half have seen some.
If you book the private boat trip, do it for the sea and for the time together as a family. If the dolphins show up, that’s a bonus.
How to watch dolphins respectfully
Seeing a dolphin up close gives you no rights over it. The bodies that protect marine mammals, such as the US agency NOAA in its marine wildlife viewing guidelines, or the ACCOBAMS agreement for the Mediterranean in its code of conduct for whale and dolphin watching, give a few simple pieces of advice:
- Keep your distance. The boat doesn’t head towards the dolphins: the ACCOBAMS code asks boats not to come within 100 metres of them. If they come to the boat of their own accord, as they did on 18 June, you let them, and keep to a slow, steady speed.
- Don’t chase them. Never follow them or approach them from behind. They decide whether to come to the boat or not.
- Never feed them. It’s bad for them, and it changes their behaviour.
- Don’t get in the water with them. Even when they swim right up against the boat, nobody swims near them or tries to touch them, by hand or with anything else.
- Keep your time with them short: half an hour at most, according to both codes. Then let them go on their way.
When a mother is swimming with her calf, as she was that day, take extra care: the boat comes no closer and never places itself between the mother and her young.
For children, it’s a lovely lesson too: you can love an animal without trying to catch it or touch it.
How to arrange a private boat trip in Djerba
The private boat trip is an optional extra, paid for separately and available on request during your stay at Ethic Village Djerba. It is not included in the nightly rate. Like all our activities, it is reserved for our guests and run by a trusted partner, with whom we organise it for you.
In practice:
- You request it from our customer service team, or directly in the Ethic Village Djerba guest app, under Activities.
- We confirm the trip and send you the details: departure time and place, and how the outing will run.
- The sea has the final say. A boat trip depends on the weather and sea conditions: we’ll keep you posted.
With children, pack the essentials for a day on the water: hats, sun cream, water and a light layer for the trip back. Keep your phone within reach, but remember to watch without a screen too.
Back at the villa, it’s time for the private pool, not overlooked by anyone, while the children draw the dolphins they saw, or the ones they hope to see next time. If you haven’t chosen your villa yet, take a look at the four villas of the residence. And to round off your plans on dry land, we have gathered more ideas in our article things to do in Djerba with children.
Hoping to meet them during your stay
You can’t book dolphins, but you can book the boat trip. Like all our activities, it is offered to our guests: once your stay is booked, simply ask our customer service team or request it in the Ethic Village Djerba app.
Discover the villas of the residence
And if, on your day out, a mother and her calf come to swim beneath your boat, do tell us about it.
Insha’Allah, see you soon at Ethic Village Djerba.
