Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary

Name

Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary

Legal name

Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary

Website

https://coffscoastwildlifesanctuary.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Sanctuary & Marine Park

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries & Protected Seascape Visitor Operations (Reef/Marine Parks) (THAAAFAJ)

Keywords

• Wildlife sanctuary experiences
• Marine animal encounters
• Wildlife rescue rehabilitation
• Conservation education programs
• Zoo aquarium operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Coffs Harbour

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales and Experiences: Revenue from selling daily tickets and premium experiences including Ultimate Dolphin Encounter, Dolphin Discovery, Meet the Dolphin, Seal Discovery, Meet the Seal, Meet the Penguin, Back of House Tours, Animal Carer Experience, and Trainer For A Day programs.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering unlimited visits and exclusive benefits for repeat visitors and wildlife enthusiasts.
3. Donations and Sponsorship: Voluntary donations through their donation platform, Sponsor a Turtle program, and Wills & Bequests legacy giving program supporting rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
4. Events and Functions: Revenue from hosting birthday parties, corporate functions, and special events at the sanctuary venue.
5. Peckish Penguin Cafe: On-site cafe operation generating food and beverage revenue for visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary is a ZAA-accredited marine wildlife park in Coffs Harbour, NSW, operating animal encounter experiences (dolphins, sea lions, penguins), daily admission, and annual memberships. It also runs wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation education programs covering the NSW coast from Lennox Head to Port Macquarie, supplemented by an on-site cafe and venue hire for events.

Product overview

Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary operates as a marine wildlife park offering a unified portfolio of wildlife experiences and conservation services. The core product portfolio centers on animal experiences—dolphin encounters (Ultimate Dolphin Encounter, Dolphin Discovery, Meet the Dolphin), seal interactions (Seal Discovery, Meet the Seal), and penguin experiences (Meet the Penguin)—supplemented by education programs (Back of House Tour, Animal Carer Experience, Trainer For A Day, ECOgroms, ECOrangers, Work Experience). Supporting services include Daily Tickets and Membership for access, Sponsor a Turtle for wildlife sponsorship, Peckish Penguin Cafe for on-site dining, Birthday Parties and Functions & Events for venue hire, and Wills & Bequests for legacy giving. The sanctuary's conservation mission is delivered through integrated Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Conservation programs covering marine mammals and birds from Lennox Head to Port Macquarie. Experiences are booked via embedded third-party platforms (Roller for memberships/donations, FareHarbor for ticketing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Peckish Penguin Cafe: On-site cafe serving visitors to the sanctuary, open 9am-1pm

Products and services

• Peckish Penguin Cafe On-site cafe operating 9am-1pm, offering food and beverages for visitors to the sanctuary.
• Rescue Programs Marine mammal and bird rescue operations covering the NSW coast from Lennox Head to Port Macquarie, delivered as part of the sanctuary's conservation mandate.
• Daily Tickets General admission tickets granting visitors access to the sanctuary and its animal exhibits. Sold to tourists, families, and walk-up visitors.
• Annual Membership Recurring annual membership providing unlimited visits and exclusive member benefits, sold to repeat visitors and local wildlife supporters.
• Ultimate Dolphin Encounter Premium in-water experience where guests swim with an Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, assist with animal care, and interact in the sanctuary lagoon.
• Dolphin Discovery In-water lagoon experience allowing guests to connect with and learn about one of the sanctuary's three Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins.
• Meet the Dolphin Land-based encounter led by the Animal Care Team, focusing on dolphin anatomy, care, and guest connection with the animals.
• Seal Discovery Premium in-water experience swimming with an Australian Sea Lion, accompanied by education on biology, care, and conservation.
• Meet the Seal Land-based up-close interaction with an Australian Sea Lion covering anatomy, physiology, care, and enrichment programs.
• Meet the Penguin Beach-side interaction with Little Blue Penguins where guests assist staff with feeding and learn about breeding, nesting, and individual penguin personalities.
• Back of House Tour Behind-the-scenes guided tour of operational areas not accessible to general visitors, providing insight into sanctuary operations.
• Animal Carer Experience Hands-on experience where participants join daily animal care activities under supervision of the Animal Care Team.
• Trainer For A Day Extended experience working alongside animal trainers, covering marine mammal training techniques and daily care routines.
• ECOgroms After School Program After-school educational program engaging children in wildlife conservation activities and learning, connected to Gumbaynggirr cultural traditions.
• ECOrangers After School Program After-school program focused on environmental education and ranger-style activities for children.
• Work Experience and Placements Structured work experience and student placement opportunities for individuals seeking practical knowledge working with animals, particularly marine mammals.
• Sponsor a Turtle Animal sponsorship program supporting rescue and rehabilitation of marine turtles, with sponsors receiving updates on their sponsored animals.
• Birthday Parties Wildlife-themed birthday party packages hosted at the sanctuary for children and families.
• Functions & Events Venue hire and event hosting services for corporate functions, weddings, and special occasions at the sanctuary.
• Rehabilitation Services Rehabilitation services for injured marine mammals and birds (seals, turtles, shearwaters) operating as part of the sanctuary's licensed wildlife care operations.
• Wills & Bequests Legacy giving program allowing supporters to include the sanctuary in their wills to support wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
• Donations Direct financial contributions to support the sanctuary's rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation efforts, processed through the Roller donation platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rescue and rehabilitation of hundreds of marine mammals and birds annually from Lennox Head to Port Macquarie

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party booking platform integration enabling online ticket sales, experience bookings, and reservation management for the sanctuary's visitor operations.
• Coffs Coast TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism partnership promoting Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary as a destination attraction within the Coffs Coast region tourism offerings.
• Gumbaynggirr PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraditional custodian partnership acknowledging the Gumbaynggirr people as traditional custodians of the land, with educational programs connecting students with Gumbaynggirr culture and dreamtime stories about animals.
• Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)coreOthersIndustry body accreditation ensuring standards of animal welfare, conservation, and professional operations. The sanctuary holds ZAA accreditation as a member facility.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sea World Gold Coast: Major Australian marine theme park operating dolphin, seal, and penguin encounters alongside rides and accommodation. Most direct commercial comparable given overlapping marine mammal encounter portfolio, though it is significantly larger and resort-oriented.
• Australia Zoo: Large wildlife park on the Sunshine Coast offering animal encounters, conservation education, and rescue services. Highly comparable business model combining paid encounters with conservation mission and education programming.
• Taronga Zoo Sydney: ZAA-accredited zoo operating marine mammal encounters, conservation programs, and education experiences. Closest peer in terms of regulatory profile, accreditation standing, and conservation-led mission.
• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: Regional Queensland wildlife sanctuary offering animal encounters, education programs, and conservation activities. Comparable in size, regional positioning, and visitor experience mix.
• WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo: Inner-city Sydney wildlife attraction focused on Australian species encounters and educational experiences. Comparable on encounter-led product mix though located in a major metro tourism precinct.
• AQWA Aquarium of Western Australia: Perth-based marine aquarium featuring marine life encounters and educational programming. Comparable on marine-focused encounter offering and Australian regional tourism positioning.
• Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium: Townsville-based marine aquarium operated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Comparable marine encounter and conservation education offering, with a public-sector ownership model similar in some respects to CCWS's non-profit structure.
• Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary: Regional Queensland wildlife sanctuary offering animal encounters and conservation education. Closest scale and structure comparable — regional non-profit wildlife attraction with similar encounter-based revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium: Large branded marine attraction operated by Merlin Entertainments. Comparable product category (marine animal encounters) but part of a global portfolio with significantly greater scale and marketing reach.

Others

• Australian National Maritime Museum: Sydney-based maritime museum operating heritage vessel tours and marine-themed exhibits. Thematically related to marine tourism and education but with a heritage/heritage-vessel focus rather than live animal encounters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CoffsSanctuary
• Facebookfacebook.com/coffscoastwildlifesanctuary
• Instagraminstagram.com/coffscoastwildlifesanctuary
• TikToktiktok.com/@coffswildlifesanctuary

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary