The Dolphin Explorer
MULTI-AWARD WINNING DOLPHIN STUDY / ECOTOUR! MOTTO: PASSION, INTEGRITY, EDUCATION
WE SAVED A LIFE!!! A RESCUE OF A 19 MONTH OLD DOLPHIN CALF TOOK PLACE ON APRIL 25TH AND THE DOLPHIN EXPLORER CREW WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SAVING THIS YOUNGSTER'S LIFE! WAY TO GO TEAM! 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. 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
May 2023 This was by far the best dolphin cruise we have been on! The guide, James, was incredibly knowledgeable about the area, the dolphins and their behavior. He answered everyone’s questions very thoroughly. We spent a lot of time with several different dolphins, and even saw manatees. They have a little “challenge” booklet for kids to complete and earn a badge, which my 9 year old daughter loved. I would absolutely recommend The Dolphin Explorer to any and everyone
– Trip AdvisorMay 2023 Saw 21 dolphins - many who really put on a show. Master Naturalist Bob did an amazing job. 5th trip and never disappoints. Will definitely go back
– Trip AdvisorMay 2023 Do not miss! This is hands down the best tour to take on Marco. If I could give 10 stars I would! I have been coming for years to visit my parents and wish I would have done this tour sooner. I will probably do it every time I come to the island in order to learn more about the beautiful resident dolphins.
– Trip AdvisorMay 2023 Amazing! Can’t say enough! My kids and I love dolphins so when we came across THE DOLPHIN EXPLORER, I knew we had to go. The staff is great and we were lucky to have James who was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and great with the kids. We saw many dolphins who rode along the wake from our boat. James gave us background if all the dolphins we saw. We learned a lot. We stopped in a beautiful spot for shelling. I can go in and on, but experience it for yourself! We will visit every time we are here. And Captain Eddie was great as well!!!
– Trip AdvisorMay 2023 Amazing and knowledgeable staff and crew. Very kid friendly, educational and engaging. It was the highlight of Marco Island. Also love that they truly care for the dolphins! We saw over 20 dolphins!
– Trip AdvisorApril 2023 Terrific experience with Captain Eddie and Naturalist Bob. Very glad we chose this dolphin excursion! Vessel was clean and provided plenty of shade, we saw about a dozen dolphins. The narration was entertaining and educational and not overdone. Free waters, a bathroom on board (did not use so not sure about the condition. Stopped at a beach for a quick shell hunt. Excellent!
– Trip AdvisorApril 2023 This is more than a dolphin cruise, it's an experience! Mr Bob had an answer to all of my questions. He is very impressive with his knowledge of not only the dolphins but so much wildlife. We were able to identify 12 dolphins on our journey and several of them came very close to the boat to say hello. I highly recommend the Dolphin Explorer. We will be repeat customers.
– Trip AdvisorApril 2023 This was the best dolphin encounter and probably the best value one I've had. The boat is manned by people who all work studying the dolphins so their knowledge of the dolphins and the area is second to none. We saw so many dolphins, I think I counted 20 in total and got really close in the boat. The best bit was when the captain driving the boat created waves at the back and the dolphins swam and jumped and played in the waves behind us. Just amazing. I have more photos and videos to relive the experience than even I (and I'm obsessed with dolphins), know what to do with! The trip was so interesting as well, educational without being boring. Sheets for the kids to fill out and a badge for them to collect at the end, some time on the beach (where you could see more dolphins) with lots of seashells to pick up and a relaxing watch of the sunset. It was a fantastic 3 hours and exceptionally good value. I loved every second.
– Trip AdvisorApril 2023 With children ages 5 and 8 this was an outstanding tour with 30+ dolphin sightings. The tour also included leg stretching on a beautiful island in search of shells. Great place- Marco Island!!
– Trip AdvisorApril 2023 Our trip on the Dolphin Explorer was amazing! We saw many dolphins, birds and even a manatee. James, the naturalist on board, was so informative and clearly an expert in his field. He was able to identify the individual dolphins by their fin markings. We went on the trip with our grandsons ages 8 and 11. James answered their questions very thoughtfully. All the children on board were given an educational activity to complete while we were on the trip. At the end, James looked over all the children’s paperwork, called them by name and gave them a badge. I would recommend this trip for all ages. We had a lot of fun and leaned so much!
– Trip Advisor