META DESCRIPTION: What marine life lives in the waters around Brijuni? From dolphins and sea turtles to colourful fish and sea urchins — here's what to look for on your boat tour.

The northern Adriatic around Brijuni National Park is a diverse and surprisingly rich marine environment. Protected partly by the national park status of the archipelago and the relatively clean, nutrient-rich waters of this part of the sea, it supports a range of wildlife that rewards the curious observer.

The star of the show, and the reason so many visitors book the dolphin safari specifically, is the bottlenose dolphin. A resident population inhabits the waters between Istria and the Kvarner islands, and sightings in the Brijuni area are frequent, particularly in the warmer months. Dolphins in this area tend to be curious and often approach boats, giving you remarkably close encounters without any need to pursue them.

Sea turtles — specifically the loggerhead turtle — are present in the Adriatic and occasionally spotted from boats around the Brijuni archipelago, though sightings are less predictable than dolphins. Early morning departures and calm sea conditions improve your chances.

Below the surface, the rocky sea floor around the islands supports a rich ecosystem. Sea urchins colonise the shallower rocks extensively, so water shoes are recommended for exits onto rocky shores. Octopus are present and often visible for snorkellers patient enough to wait still. Colourful wrasse, bream, and mullet populate the kelp and posidonia seagrass beds. In the right conditions, you can watch schools of small fish moving through clear water with striking clarity from the boat deck.

Seabirds add another dimension — cormorants, yellow-legged gulls, and various wading birds use the outer Brijuni islands as nesting grounds. The combination of marine and avian wildlife makes Brijuni one of the richer wildlife destinations on the Adriatic, and a good pair of binoculars is never wasted.