The Dolphin Explorer
MULTI-AWARD WINNING DOLPHIN STUDY / ECOTOUR!
2024 BIRTHING SEASON IS IN FULL SWING! AS OF OCTOBER 3RD OUR TEAM HAS DOCUMENTED 7 NEW BABY DOLPHINS IN 2024! MOST OF THEM ARE BORN TO EXPERIENCED MOMS, AND GUESS WHAT?!?! WE'RE NOT DONE! SEVERAL MORE FEMALES ARE EXPECTING CALVES VERY SOON! COME JOIN US SOON! BOOK NOW!
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!
"Passion, Integrity, Education" is our motto. Our beliefs are reflected in our passion to educate!
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
Oct 2024 This was our 4th trip on The Dolphin Explorer and it was just as fantastic as the first 3 times. Definitely an awesome trip for the whole family!
– Trip AdvisorOct 2024 It was an amazing tour. Saw lots of dolphins. The crew was extremely informative and kind. Would recommend highly and plan to do it again. Learned alot about the dolphins and the eco system
– Trip AdvisorOct 2024 I can't say enough good about this adventure. We had visited in March, and James shared that babies are typically born in September/October. So we decided to visit Marco Island again so we could hopefully see the babies. And we did! We saw so many dolphins - babies, mothers, grandmothers, and in-betweens. And to see them in their natural setting, swimming, jumping, caring for their young, it's incredible. This is on my "must-do" list for anyone who visits Marco Island.
– Trip AdvisorOct 2024 Best boat trip I’ve been on! If you love dolphins, this is the MOST educational and fun trip there is!! Perfect! We saw so many dolphins and Bob and James could tell us so much about each of them. Wonderful afternoon!!
– Trip AdvisorSEPT 2024. I've been to Marco Island on and off for over 40 years. I officially moved to the island 5 years ago. I'm sad to say I never went on the Dolphin Explorer until now. It was a great and very informative trip. Capt. James and Capt. Bob are the best. They were extremely informative and knowledgeable about all the dolphins. I totally encourage everyone to go at least one time if possible. You won't regret it.
– Trip AdvisorSEPT 2024 We've been on a few dolphin search excursions and we will only take this one in the future. The knowledge that you learn without any invasive tracking makes our heart happy. The others are nice but this one is the best!
– TRIP ADVISORSept 2024 This was a once in a lifetime experience. Lots to learn from the crew and from the natural environment. Definitely plan to return once in the area. Highly recommend for all ages.T
– Trip AdvisorAug 2024 A wonderful experience for all ages. This exploration is not only fun and relaxing, but educational too. We saw many dolphins which were identified by name by the excellent crew. We also saw Manatees in their natural environment. The trip to the beach for shelling or just walking was the Icing on the Cake. A beautiful day exploring the natural wonders offshore on Marco Island! We will do it again!!
– Trip AdvisorSept 2024 We rented the dolphin explorer in July to celebrate my parents with a burial at sea. During the entire process leading up to the day Capt Bob helped answer any questions and allay my concerns. On the day, 28 family members enjoyed the celebration for my parents along with dolphin sitings and sea shelling on an island. It was a beautiful day filled with happy memories and love. I cannot thank Dolphin Explorers enough for an experience we will always cherish.
– Trip AdvisorAug. 2024 We had a great morning with the knowledgeable crew of the Dolphin Explorer. We loved that this excursion was presented by actual scientists, and that this eco tour was so respectful of the natural wildlife. The boat was lovely for this type of adventure, and the views alone while traveling the waters were worth the visit. Our dolphin viewing was slow initially, but when they started appearing near the end of the tour our crew even delayed our return to enable everyone to have time with these amazing creatures. The tour also provided shell bags during our shelling stop at the beach (some of the most beautiful shells ever). Loved this and will do this again any time we are back on Marco Island
– Trip Advisor