The Great Barrier Reef Dolphin Project conducted a large-scale survey of threatened inshore dolphins in the northern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The team comprised First Nations people, scientific experts, private enterprises, and government agencies. The project was carried out in collaboration with 12 Traditional Owner (TO) groups. A two-year consultation process followed the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent. This process included an initial contact, project scope meeting and a survey design workshop. Initial contacts were brief and conducted remotely to inform TOs about the project and invite them to engage with the research team. Project scope meetings and survey design workshops were held in-person to provide more information on data collection methods and to discuss consent to survey sea country, agreements and cultural protocols. The survey design integrated analytical procedures with insights from TOs, incorporating their local knowledge. This collaborative approach fostered a strong partnership between scientists and TOs, built on respect and trust. As a result, the project covered a large geographic area, enhancing the relevance and implications of the findings. The data collected during this project provided valuable knowledge for TOs about their sea country while also contributing to the conservation of threatened inshore dolphins.