The Dolphin Explorer

Aug. 2026 Great family experience, very informative and interactive tour with tons of dolphin action. The team aboard care deeply about the dolphins, other creatures and the environment. Highly recommend this tour!!!

Aug, 2026 This was hands down one of the best experiences we've had! I can't recommend The Dolphin Explorer enough. The staff was incredible—friendly, knowledgeable, and truly passionate about what they do. The tour was perfect for all ages. Our 11-year-old and 9-year-old absolutely loved it, and so did the adults. The boat was spotless, comfortable, and very well maintained. The educational portion about the dolphins was fascinating and presented in such an engaging way that everyone stayed interested. I can't say enough good things about the entire experience from beginning to end. If you're visiting Marco Island, this is an absolute must-do. We took the 9:00 AM–12:00 PM tour, and it was the perfect length. We left with amazing memories and a much greater appreciation for dolphins and the work being done to study and protect them.

July 2026 Wow! This 3 hour cruise was amazing! I learned so many interesting things about dolphins and saw 20 different named ones. It was the highlight of my birthday. James, the captain and naturalist, pointed out an osprey, pink spoonbills, and a turtle. One of the dolphins put on a "performance" for us playing with a large fish throwing it up in the air and catching it over and over! Other dolphins came leisurely right up to the boat and then 2 others jumped in the waves at the back and swam with us. My favorite is called Popcorn and he breached(jumped in the air) several times. I have been on several dolphin cruises and this by far is the BEST! I highly recommend this and will go back on it again this year!

July 2026 This was our second trip with the Dolphin Explorer, and we were excited to introduce our friends to it. We had an amazing trip! We saw over 20 dolphins, and the crew was so informative and knowledgeable. We found great shells at the shelling stop and had an overall perfect morning!

July 2026 I went recently and had an amazing experience! I've been on many dolphin site seeing tours in Florida over the years and this was the best tour we had ever done. We saw 18 different dolphins and received an amazing education along the way. They made it extremely interactive and friendly for my family and I was really happy to go. If I'm ever in the area again this is without a doubt a place we are going. The 3 hours in length was great as well. Aside from seeing the Dolphins they parked us at a small part of the island for a bit to go do some shelling which was nice. If you go on the tour wear some beach appropriate shoes so you can participate.

June 2026 My husband and I had the best time on the Dolphin Study Eco Tour! We saw 20+ individual dolphins, and at one point we saw about 15 together! The tour guide and captain were knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer any questions. I particularly love that the dolphins are in no way tagged or captivated, but instead they are ethically studied and cared for. We also went to a portion of the beach that otherwise would've been difficult to get to, and we found some of the most amazing sea shells. I would highly recommend this tour!

June 2026 Our family has been on other boat tours but Dolphin Explorer was one of the best we have experienced. We especially like that our ticket sales is what supports their efforts to observe and collect data for the dolphins who are in the Marco Island area. We were able to view 37 dolphins on our trip! As we anticipated the sighting, the views of the Marco River are so beautiful. The boat is spacious and clean. We loved the complimentary bags to collect shells and photos. Our guide was very kind, knowledgeable and the kids on board had fun documenting their observations as well, earning a badge at the end. Thank you for a wonderful day trip!

June 2026 A very interesting morning on the water. Thoroughly enjoyed identifying each dolphin that we found along the way. They have catlogued every dolphin in the area, and knew every one of them by name on site! Each of their dorsal fins is unique. Beautiful day on the water, and we left with a photo of the experience to keep. Would definitely recommend this as it is different from any other dolphin & shelling tour. Kids would love matching up the pictures with the named dolfins. A unique, fun experience!

May 2026 We had such a wonderful trip with Captain Eddie and Bob! I was hoping to find something fun and educational for an energetic six-year-old who absolutely loves animals, and this experience could not have been more perfect. She was so excited spotting dolphins and trying to identify each one, and she especially loved watching them dive and play in the wake of the boat. The timing of everything was great — just when she started getting a little restless on the boat, we stopped to walk the beach and look for shells, which she loved just as much. It truly was the perfect outing for our three-generation family, and we made some really special memories together.