Sunrise boat trips to see dolphins are Lovina's much-hyped tourist attraction - so much so that a large concrete crowned monument has been erected in honour of the over-touted cetaceans. Some days, no dolphins are sighted, but most of the time at least a few surface.

Expect constant hassle from your hotel and touts selling dolphin trips - and if you want to go, it's best to buy a ticket the day before. The price is fixed by the boat owners' cartel. Trips start at a non-holiday-like 06:00 and last about two hours. Note that the ocean can get pretty crowded with loud, roaring power boats.

There's great debate about what all this means to the dolphins. Do they like being chased by boats? If not why do they keep coming back? Maybe it's the fish, of which there are plenty off Lovina. For a dolphin, maybe the buzzing boats are on par with someone yakking on a cell phone at dinner. Or maybe not.