April 21, 2025, 8:53 am | Read time: 9 minutes
The small village of Lovina in the north of Bali has only existed since 1953, but is now one of the island’s biggest tourist magnets. This is because dolphins appear here every morning in the shallow waters off the coast. You can not only watch them, but also swim with them. Our author went on a day trip during his visit and was initially completely shocked by the crowds of tourists, even in the low season. In the end, however, it turned out to be one of the best experiences of his vacation.
At half past six in the morning, just as the sun creeps over a distant mountain range, glowing like a red ball of fire and the sky accented by a few beautiful clouds, my girlfriend and I are standing on the beach in the small village of Lovina in the north of Bali, our feet in the shallow water, watching as our guide Putu expertly steers his jukung, a kind of catamaran, towards the shore. We’re poised to set sail with him and witness a truly magical display of nature. Dolphins regularly appear off the coast of Lovina, enchanting visitors from all over the world with their natural grace and beauty for hours on end.
It’s a mystery just how long this enchanting phenomenon has been occurring. But what is certain is that the animals have made Lovina one of the island’s biggest tourist magnets. Captain Putu remembers how he marveled at them as a young boy when he went fishing with his father. He has now been in the business himself for 25 years. Every morning, he chugs out onto the water, eager to share his love for these animals with tourists. It’s a job that never gets boring, he says, and by Balinese standards it pays very well. We have arranged a three-hour tour with him for 800,000 Indonesian rupiah, which is the equivalent of almost 47 euros. Putu doesn’t own the boat, the “Saraswati Lovina Dolphin,” but he looks like a very happy man.
500 Boats in the High Season
The sea lies smooth as glass, the Lovina coastline gradually narrows, and the sun’s heat intensifies to an almost unbearable level. Very good conditions, ideal conditions for dolphin sightings, says Putu, and is pleased himself. “If you are happy, I am happy,” he says without a trace of irony or even a hint of trying to ingratiate himself. “If you are happy, I am happy”—we heard this wonderfully likeable sentence several times during our three-week trip to Bali, and each time it came from the heart. What better way to feel completely at ease and welcome.
Yet, my initial excitement dims as we approach a gray front on the horizon, which gradually resolves into the shapes of numerous other boats. Countless other boats, to be precise, a modern Spanish armada, and they are all, like us, searching, no, hunting for dolphins. They sway close together, dangerously close to each other. “That’s nothing yet,” says Putu, half laughing, half shaking his head. Now, at the end of January, is the low season, which is why he estimates “only” 150 other boats. In July and August, up to 500 come out onto the sea off Lovina on a single day to bring paying guests as close as possible to the dolphins.
Regular Accidents
We realize what this means more or less immediately. Because on one of the boats, there is suddenly frenetic shouting, as if a sports star has just scored the decisive point for his team in a final. In fact, the fins of a couple of dolphins have appeared on the surface and all the helmsmen are already revving their engines to steer the customers to the supposed photo hotspot, or at least close to it. Of course, 150 boats only have limited physical space, and chaos breaks out over us, accompanied by the roar of the powerful boat engines.
This frenzied dance continues for what seems like an eternity. As soon as there are screams and cameras start to click, all the captains race to the scene as if they were unconscious. The dolphins of Lovina seem to get a kick out of it, appearing here and there, as if to lead their observers around by the nose, so to speak. Putu calmly dispels our concern that such an onslaught could, indeed must, endanger the animals. “Don’t worry, the dolphins are smart, they can look after themselves. Humans are stupid, which is why there are regular accidents with the boats. The young captains in particular often don’t know the rules.”
The Best Breakfast in the World
With nearly three decades of experience under his belt, Putu opts out of the photo safari frenzy. And he knows that we have more time than most others who only book a one-hour trip. And so he soon steers us out of the crowd and into calmer waters. My girlfriend in particular, who has never seen dolphins before, is already completely enchanted. And Putu knows how to win our hearts once and for all. With a breakfast of bananas baked in batter, freshly prepared by his wife in the morning, and a cup of nice tea. While we enjoy it contentedly and my heartbeat slowly calms down again, our guide tells us the story of Lovina.
It all began in 1953 when Anak Agung Pandji Tisna, the last king of North Bali, fell in love with the still completely untouched place. Not only did he find it beautiful, but it was also close to his capital Singaraja, whichwas the capitale of Bali until 1958. So the monarch decided to build a beach house with three rooms and a restaurant here. He named it Lovina, which is probably a made-up word consisting of the two terms “Love” and “Ina”. The former is known to be the English synonym for “love,” the latter the Balinese word for “mother.” One might translate it as ‘love for the motherland,’ a heartfelt tribute to Bali.
Swimming with the Dolphins
The Lovina guesthouse soon became very popular with the king’s official guests. In the years and decades that followed, more and ever larger (and more expensive) establishments sprang up and six individual villages grew into a cluster that is now known as “Lovina Beach.” It is highly likely that the regular appearance of dolphins has contributed to this success story. However, it is also a place for those seeking peace and quiet who want to get to know Bali away from mass tourism. Because as soon as the dolphin photo hunters have left, Lovina becomes very quiet.
It is also much quieter on the water when Putu takes us back to the spot where a few boats are still on the lookout for the animals. And indeed, there they are again, sometimes even jumping acrobatically out of the water. We enjoy this encore, now much more relaxed, and admire the dolphins that keep appearing in the glittering water. And then comes the moment that finally turns this excursion into an unforgettable experience. In a thrilling turn of events, we’re invited to enter the water ourselves, coming face-to-face with these majestic sea creatures.
A Magical Moment
And this is how it works: wearing diving goggles and a snorkel, we hang on to a kind of swing, or rather trapeze, which is attached to the outside of the boat. Then Putu starts the engine and pulls us through the water while we enjoy a clear view of the world below us. Words fall short in capturing the magic of the moment when the dolphins glide by us for the first time, their elegance and playful chattering making them seem close enough to touch. I don’t know if you can cry underwater, but I certainly feel like crying with happiness.
Sometimes the dolphins can only be seen as small dots deep on the seabed, sometimes very close to us. Our presence doesn’t seem to bother them at all, even babies—close to their mothers—dare to come close to us. It is a weightless ballet in which we are nothing but astonished extras. Time seems to stand still and race at the speed of light at the same time. Our minds and hearts struggle to fully grasp the wonder unfolding before us. At the climax of this natural opera, a group of probably a hundred animals swims past directly below us. Then it’s time to return to the real world.
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The Heart is the Best Camera
At this point, the three hours we had booked are long gone. Putu makes us happy on his own time, simply because he is so lovable. “If you are happy, I am happy,” he actually says again. And we would love to hug him. But he has another ace up his sleeve and takes us to a coral reef just off the coast of Lovina. The magical underwater universe is like jumping into a huge, exotic aquarium. In complete silence, colorful fish pass by, whose shapes and colors could just as easily have been invented by someone. It’s a great end to an incredible day.
Back on Lovina beach, we still can’t quite comprehend the happiness of the hours behind us. We give Putu a generous tip, then say goodbye to our captain. His eldest son, he told us earlier, is already doing his first dolphin tours. So the legacy is in safe hands. Incidentally, I didn’t take a single photo myself that day. Sometimes, it’s essential to remember to savor moments simply with our eyes. That way, they burn themselves all the deeper into the only true camera lens. Namely the heart.