The Dolphin Explorer
The Finest Dolphin Study / Eco-Tour on Marco Island MOTTO: PASSION, INTEGRITY, EDUCATION
2022 RESULTS: 4,865 DOLPHIN SIGHTINGS OF 124 DIFFERENT, IDENTIFIABLE DOLPHINS. 11 NEW CALVES BORN. TRIP ADIVOR'S TRAVELER'S CHOICE AWARD 2022...3RD YEAR IN A ROW. VOTED BEST ECO ADVENTURE IN NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND, EVERGLADES AREAS. FEATURED IN THE LONDON TIMES. COME JOIN THE BEST!!!!
Available Tour Times: 9 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Duration: 3 hours
Get to know some of our area dolphins on every trip! Learn their names and who their relatives are as we cruise the waters of Marco Island in search of wildlife on this family-friendly eco-tour. Reservations are highly recommended!
Discovery, exploration, and adventure aboard The Dolphin Explorer!
Join our dolphin research team and get to know the local dolphins on our Marco Island dolphin cruise – both fun and educational! Launched February 1, 2006, the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project is a long-term study of the abundance, distribution, movement, association patterns, and behavior of bottlenose dolphins of Southwest Florida. Located on Marco Island with close proximity to Naples and the Everglades, we offer a one of a kind tour!
The Project is the only on-going study of wild dolphins in SW Florida and the only one in the United States that engages and is supported by the general public.
Using ‘photo-identification,’ our dolphins are recognized by their dorsal fins which act as their ‘fingerprints.’
You have the opportunity to participate in locating, counting, and confirming of individual dolphin sightings on our exciting Marco Island eco-tour. For more about the study, visit our dolphin survey results.
Rated 5 Stars on TripAdvisor
Jan 2023 What a great experience! Kudos to Bob, Capt. Eddie and Allie. Perfect length of time and routes. Wonderful to know they are doing real research. They catered to both the adults and the kids on board. Very reasonable price. Clean. Easy to park. Large gift shop. Highly recommend
– Trip AdvisorJan 2023 Wonderful experience, took our 6 year old granddaughter on the tour with us. Learned a lot about the dolphins in the area and saw 26 different named dolphins as well as others. Highly recommend the tour, will definitely take our other grandchildren on this tour when they visit.
– Trip AdvisorJan. 2023 Never disappoints! Captain Eddie and Bob (world class naturalist) present a delightful, captivating 3 hr. experience. Bob’s knowledge of Marco dolphins is amazing. You always learn something new. Seventh trip - and I’ll be back again.
– Trip AdvisorJan. 2023 The entire experience was fantastic. The captain and crew were friendly and outgoing and they freely shared their knowledge and enthusiasm. I would highly recommend this tour and we plan on a return Dolphin Explorer adventure next year.
– Trip AdvisorDec.2022 This was the best tour we have ever taken on Marco. It was educational yet fun. We saw many many dolphins. They were jumping in and out of the wake of the boat which made for excellent photos. You can bring your lunch, snacks and/or beverages on the tour too. We also stopped at a beautiful beach to shell and found many sand dollars. Enjoyed the crew on the boat, very knowledgeable and friendly.
– Trip AdvisorDec. 2022 We had a great experience with the Dolphin Explorer! Got to see 16 different dolphins and learn a lot about these beautiful animals. Then a stop to look for shells with sand dollars galore. Our kids had a blast seeing the dolphins - especially when they rode the waves behind the boat. Getting a printed photo of the family and a dolphin was a great touch, along with a dolphin explorer badge for the kids. A great kid friendly experience that everyone can enjoy! Thanks so much!
– Trip AdvisorDec. 2022 What an awesome experience! Learning about the dolphins and seeing them up close was one of the coolest things I've done! If you like sea shells, you'll Love the stop on the Island to collect them! Be careful where you step, they are all over! Bob, Eddy and Ali were also awesome! Their knowledge of the area was amazing! I didn't have little ones with me, but I loved how they engaged them in learning about the dolphins, birds and the environment! Highly recommended this excursion! Thank you for the wonderful day I will never forget!!!!
– Trip AdvisorDec 2022 This was a wonderful experience. We saw so many amazing dolphins without being disrespectful to both the animal and the environment. Great for both adults and children. Really incredible.
– Trip Advisor