The Dolphin Explorer

Aug 2025 What a fantastic trip....we had a wide range of ages on our boat from babies to the elderly. It could not have been smoother! They're with you every step of the way from assisting you onto the boat, explaining the boat features and safety equipment. Then onto the dolphins by a trained biologist studying dolphins for his thesis. There isn't anything you could ask him about dolphins that he didn't know! It was SO educational, AND we saw 22 different dolphin on this trip. Mothers, dads, youngsters, and grandparent dolphins....it was all explained. We had a bit of time to go shelling and they entertain the children with a little activity booklet the kids loved. When completed, they sign off on it and each child gets a patch-not a sticker, a patch to commemorate all they've learned about dolphins.

July 2025 I went with my boyfriend's family, and it wasn't what I thought it'd be. It was way better. I had imagined being on a boat for 3 hours with "oh look in the distance and you might see a little fin". It was nothing like that. We saw 13 individual dolphins throughout the experience, as our tour guide (James) took photos and could ID them from distinctive nicks and marks on their fins. And don't misunderstand me, it wasn't 13 sightings total. They kept popping up time and time again! They were right next to the boat, showing off for everyone. Even as much as swimming in the current of the boat and leaping up beside us. Now that was so beautiful. These people do so much research for this species in need of conservation, and you can tell they care about each one of them

July 2025 Most informative, entertaining and family fun experience in southwest Florida. Very friendly, engaging, experienced and knowledgeable staff that enjoy their work. Bob and. Captain James sighted nineteen dolphins by name for the crew. Don’t miss this voyage.

June 2025 I would give them 100 stars if I could. This was the best dolphin boat ride ever. We saw so many dolphins and they know and could identify each of them. They are very knowledgeable about dolphins and it was so awesome to see what these great people are doing to help protect these beautiful creatures.

June 2025 This was the best boat excursion we have ever taken. We were six including our 4 & 7 year old grandkids. This is actually a scientific excursion with the sightings and information used to expand their current data base for 120 bottlenose dolphins that are currently being tracked. The crew included a marine biologist who provided continual knowledge and explanation of these incredible mammals. A booklet identifying each dolphin was provided as well as special pads for each child to track the dolphins we saw. 27 dolphins were identified by name. They swam beside the boat at times and approach the boat to say hi. Both young and old totally enjoyed to experience. The trip even included a stop at Tigertail beach for shell exploration and collection. I would highly recommend this tour to everyone.

June 2025 This is a very well-run and informative experience. It was truly amazing to see the dolphins doing their thing in their environment and to learn more about them from the guide and the captain. I can't wait to do it again and I highly recommend it to anyone considering taking this tour. You will not be disappointed!

June 2025 This is one of the BEST excursions we've EVER been on. Comfortable accomodations, well-trained captain. AND best tour guide ever. Our naturalist was extremely informative, animated, and friendly. He answered all questions from guests and was very enthused about his job. His knowledge of all the dolphins was most impressive.

June 2025 I would give them 100 stars if I could. This was the best dolphin boat ride ever. We saw so many dolphins and they know and could identify each of them. They are very knowledgeable about dolphins and it was so awesome to see what these great people are doing to help protect these beautiful creatures.

May 2025 Our grandkids wanted to see dolphins when they visited us in Florida. We could not have booked a better cruise!!!! Everyone had a blast, adults and kids alike. We saw so many of dolphins! The tour was very enjoyable and informative and I loved how interactive it was for the kids. Both our guide, Bob and Captain Eddie were amazing.

May 2025 That was a great tour. We saw 25 dolphins playing, hunting fish and right next to our boat. The crew knew what each dolphin was called and could communicate their knowledge of the dolphins well. We were a small group and so it was very intimate. The price was definitely justified and the tour is highly recommended.

May 2025 This was our 6th tour with this amazing company and it was once again absolutely perfect. Captain James along with Jess found 18 different dolphins for us, some of which we got to see multiple times. :-) We will do this tour every time we're on Marco Island. It is so much fun to learn with them, and being able to follow generations of offspring is just really cool. Nobody else offers this depth of knowledge. Thank you for yet another memorable experience :-)

April 2025 This is the second time I have done this trip. Besides having an amazing time out on the water we saw so many dolphins! This is a great trip to also sneak in lots of education for the kiddos as they can complete a dolphin challenge and get a team member badge. I pulled my child out of school to come down here and I feel she learned more on the dolphin explorer then she would have learned sitting through science class. I recommend this trip to anyone old or small coming to the area