Baird Bay

Baird Bay is a handful of houses on a sheltered inlet on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula, and the reason anyone comes is a resident colony of Australian sea lions that lives on the rocks at the bay's mouth. One family-run operator has held the licence here for decades, taking small groups by boat to a spot where young sea lions approach swimmers in the water, rolling, blowing bubbles and mimicking movements, entirely on their own terms; nothing is fed or coerced. Bottlenose dolphins often join the same trips. The bay's water is clear and shallow, and the surrounding coast is empty, with the Point Labatt sea lion colony a short drive south.

What you actually see

• The sea lion swim - young Australian sea lions approaching swimmers in the water.
• The dolphins - bottlenose dolphins that often join the boat.
• The sheltered bay - clear shallow water inside the inlet.
• The empty coast - a settlement of a few houses with nothing around it.

When to go

October to April for the warmest water, though wetsuits are supplied year-round; the water here is cold. Tours run daily in season and depend entirely on wind and swell. Booking well ahead is necessary, since groups are small.

Honest expectations

Trips are cancelled frequently by weather. The water is cold and the swim requires reasonable confidence in open water. Sea lion behaviour is voluntary, so encounters vary. Facilities in the settlement are essentially nil.

Nearby

Point Labatt's clifftop sea lion colony lies south; Streaky Bay is north.