In April 2023 our boys, then 7 and 9, touched a dolphin at Dolphin Island on Sentosa. They talked about it for the rest of the trip, and we have the photos. From memory it cost around 100 dollars.
You can’t book that experience any more. Dolphin Island closed on 1 May 2025, and the dolphins moved to the Marine Mammal Habitat at the new Singapore Oceanarium. What’s on offer today is a different, shorter programme where you stay dry. This post covers what we did, what exists now and what it costs, and the part most articles leave out: where these dolphins came from and what Resorts World Sentosa decided about them in 2026. You should have that before you decide.
What you need to know
- Dolphin Island closed on 1 May 2025. The in-water encounters we did no longer exist.
- What replaced it: Dolphin Exploration at the Marine Mammal Habitat, Singapore Oceanarium. 30 minutes, of which 15 are with the dolphins, from the shore, and you stay dry.
- Price: S$110 per adult and S$98 per child with Oceanarium admission, or S$65 for the programme alone.
- Ages: all ages, including under-4s. Up to 3 children per adult, and under-13s must be with a paying adult.
- The ethics: the dolphins were caught in the wild in the Solomon Islands in 2008 and 2009. In 2026 Resorts World Sentosa said it would stop sourcing and breeding them.
Going mainly for Universal Studios? The hotels inside Resorts World Sentosa, like Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, are a walk from the park. These are affiliate links: we earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.
What Dolphin Island was, and what we did there
Dolphin Island sat inside the Marine Life Park at Resorts World Sentosa and opened in 2013. Its programmes put small groups into shallow water with Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, with marine mammal specialists guiding each session. You learned some hand signals, heard about how dolphins communicate, and had a few minutes of direct contact.
For our boys, the touching was the whole thing. A dolphin came in close, they put a hand on its side, and the look on their faces is in every photo we took that day.
What’s worth knowing before you spend around 100 dollars is how short it is. You’re paying for a session measured in minutes, and only part of that is with the animals.
What you can do now: Dolphin Exploration at Singapore Oceanarium
S.E.A. Aquarium closed on 30 April 2025 and reopened on 24 July 2025 as the Singapore Oceanarium, with 22 zones instead of 10. The dolphins are now in its Marine Mammal Habitat, and the programme on sale is Dolphin Exploration.
| Dolphin Exploration | |
|---|---|
| Length | 30 minutes, including 15 minutes with the dolphins from the shore |
| Do you get in the water? | No. It’s a dry programme, and no swimming is needed |
| Price with Oceanarium admission | S$110 adult, S$98 child or senior |
| Programme only | S$65 |
| Ages | All ages, including children under 4 |
| Supervision | Maximum 3 children per adult aged over 21; under-13s must have a paying adult with them |
| Where | Marine Mammal Habitat, at the Oceanarium’s shores |
Under-18s need a parent or guardian present to sign a release form. Book ahead. These sessions are small, and weekends and school holidays fill up.
Where the dolphins came from, and what changed in 2026
This is the part I’d want to read before booking, and it’s missing from most guides.
Resorts World Sentosa obtained 27 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands in 2008 and 2009. They were caught in the wild, not born in a tank. At least four died in transit or from infections before the attraction opened. One died on the flight to Singapore in November 2012; two others died while the group was being held in Langkawi, Malaysia. The purchase was fought by animal welfare groups from the start, and an export of some of the animals was blocked in the Philippines in 2012.
In March and April 2026, Mongabay reported that RWS will stop sourcing dolphins from the wild and suspend its captive-breeding programme. More than 20 dolphins are still there, the youngest a 7-year-old male called Kenzo, and the resort is putting together a panel of experts to decide their future. Conservationists quoted in that reporting were cautious about what should happen next: dolphins that have spent years in a tank don’t all adapt to release, and a release would need to go back to the population they were taken from.
So: no more dolphins will be taken from the sea for this facility, and no more will be bred into it. The ones already there are still there, and you can still pay to meet them.
Would I book it again?
No, and I don’t want to pretend I felt that way in 2023.
When we booked, I thought of it as an educational experience, which is how it’s sold. I’ve since read where these particular dolphins came from, and it changes how I look at the photos. My kids had a wonderful 15 minutes. That doesn’t settle the question of whether wild-caught dolphins should be in a tank on a resort island.
What I’d tell a family planning Sentosa today: if the point is for your children to be amazed by marine animals, the Singapore Oceanarium itself does that for a fraction of the price, and the money doesn’t go to an animal interaction. If you do book Dolphin Exploration, book it knowing the history rather than the brochure.
What else to do on Sentosa with kids instead
- Singapore Oceanarium: 22 zones, and the best rainy-afternoon plan on the island. Tickets run about S$50–55 per adult for visitors.
- Palawan Beach: shallow, free, and where our kids spent the most time.
- Sentosa Sensoryscape: a free garden walkway that’s at its best at dusk.
- Universal Studios Singapore: Minion Land opened on 14 February 2025. Tickets start from about S$83 for adults and S$62 for children aged 4–12.
All of these are in our Sentosa Island with kids guide, with how to get there and what each part costs.
Where to stay on Sentosa
We stayed at Village Hotel Sentosa, in two connecting rooms with breakfast included. It’s a 3-minute walk from Imbiah monorail station, one stop from Resorts World Sentosa, where the Oceanarium is. The box above has a cheaper option and a beachfront one.
More from our Singapore trip:
- 2 days in Singapore with kids: itinerary and costs
- Sentosa Island with kids
- Village Hotel Sentosa review
- Changi Airport with kids
This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Dolphin Island Sentosa FAQ
Is Dolphin Island Sentosa closed?
Yes. Dolphin Island at Resorts World Sentosa closed on 1 May 2025. Its Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins moved to the Marine Mammal Habitat at Singapore Oceanarium, which opened on 24 July 2025 in place of S.E.A. Aquarium. Some resale sites still advertise Dolphin Island tickets.
Can you still swim with dolphins in Singapore?
No. The current programme, Dolphin Exploration at Singapore Oceanarium’s Marine Mammal Habitat, is a dry encounter from the shore with no swimming, unlike the in-water sessions at the old Dolphin Island.
How much does the dolphin programme at Singapore Oceanarium cost?
Dolphin Exploration costs S$110 per adult and S$98 per child or senior including a one-day Oceanarium ticket, or S$65 for the programme on its own. It lasts 30 minutes, including 15 minutes with the dolphins.
Is the dolphin programme suitable for young children?
Yes. Dolphin Exploration is open to all ages, including children under four, because nobody enters the water. A maximum of three children per adult over 21 applies, children under 13 must be accompanied by a paying adult, and anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign the release form.
Where did the dolphins at Resorts World Sentosa come from?
Resorts World Sentosa obtained 27 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands in 2008 and 2009. They were caught in the wild, and at least four died in transit or from infections before Dolphin Island opened in 2013. More than 20 dolphins remain today.
Is the Singapore dolphin experience ethical?
That is for you to judge, but the facts matter: these dolphins were caught in the wild rather than born in captivity. In March and April 2026 Mongabay reported that Resorts World Sentosa will stop sourcing dolphins from the wild and suspend captive breeding, and is assembling a panel of experts to decide the future of the animals it has.
What can you do on Sentosa with kids instead?
Singapore Oceanarium on its own is about S$50–55 per adult and has 22 zones, Palawan Beach is free and shallow enough for young children, the Sentosa Sensoryscape walkway is free, and Universal Studios Singapore starts from about S$83 for adults and S$62 for children aged 4 to 12.
