The Dolphin Explorer

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

April 2025 Everyone LOVED it. We live in the area, so we didn't think it would be that much different than watching dolphins on our own. WE WERE WRONG!!! It was way more fun to hear our guide talk about the different dolphins, their life, their buddies, etc. He knew their names, and many fun facts about them. ALSO we had an 8 year old with us, and they have a GREAT brochure for the kids, and if they help site the dolphins they get a patch. It was actually a VERY big deal for the kids on our trip, and it kept them engaged. Super trip!!!! We will do it again.

Apri 2025 Our experience with the dolphin encounter was absolutely incredible! The crew was extremely knowledgeable, providing fascinating insights about the dolphins and their behavior. They were also incredibly friendly and made sure everyone felt comfortable and safe throughout the experience. The dolphins were amazing to see up close, and the interactions felt both exciting and respectful toward the animals. I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a fun and educational adventure!

March 2025 This was my eighth trip with the Dolphin Explorer...the first for my 2 friends. They LOVED IT and found Bob the most terrific guy. He's SO knowledgeable, SO obviously thrilled to share what he knows.....it's just a MUST DO if you go to Marco. The boat is roomy, comfortable, shaded, has a head, carries water for you (free), takes your group picture and prints them for each person (free) before you even get back to the dock, gives everyone a free bag for shelling. It deserves a 6, but the scale only goes to 5.

March 2025 This is so worth doing! We saw over 20 unique dolphins, 3 mamas and new babies and my kids were beyond thrilled. Captain James and naturalist Jen were fabulous. They took time to answer all the questions and were extremely informative. Very knowledgeable and great with our children. Teens to toddlers the whole family kept saying what a great experience and highlight of our trip. Shelling at Tigertail was beautiful and a wonderful added benefit. We will be back!

Feb 2025 This is always a delightful experience. I have been on the Explorer 7 times and Iam sure will be back again. Just this month I organized a group of 30 Ladies from our commumity and they raved about the experience. I just went again with family. Every experience i learn something new about the bottlenose dolphins in our area. The Marine Biologists on board are extreemely knowlegeable and will take all your questions. Every trip I have seen dolphins, which your guides know the names, sex, and genealogy of these beautiful animals. I promise you will not be disappointed

Feb.2025 The whole experience was amazing! The tour guide was so knowledgeable,friendly, and fantastic with my kids! They had a great educational binder for people to look through and an activity for my kids to do on the boat. At the end they earned a badge for completing the activity. It was great! We saw so many dolphins in the distance and up close. Getting to shell on the beach was so beautiful and amazing! I have never seen so many gorgeous shells in my life! I can't say enough about my experience! 100% recommend the Dolphin Explorer adventure

March 2025 We had a wonderful time on the Dolphin Explorer! Our group included 2x 4 year olds and 2x 18 month olds. The ride was pretty smooth and we saw lots of dolphins. There are a lot of shaded seats on the boat. There were activities for the older kids and they got dolphin badges at the end which was a big hit. The captain and guide know the dolphins really well and were really respectful - keeping appropriate distance, didn’t feed them etc. We were lucky enough to see some dolphins playing in the wake of our boat. The beach (tiger tail) was a welcome stop and lots of neat shells to see and collect. 10/10 recommend

March 2025 Absolutely incredible experience! We saw 19 dolphins in total. They even chased the boat and were surfing and jumping in our wake! Such a magical afternoon! Very knowledgeable and professional staff. Highly recommend!