Water Planet
Water Planet
5
Swim with DolphinsBoat ToursDolphin & Whale Watching
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Water Planet offers a variety of fun and educational swim-with-the-dolphin tours for the whole family in Panama City Beach, Florida, including the opportunity to explore Shell Island, snorkel on ship wrecks and collect shells. We also offer dolphin therapy programs for children with special needs. Specialized help for small children by request during your tour.
Panama City Beach, Florida
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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(17 reviews)
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
727 reviews
Excellent
674
Very good
27
Average
8
Poor
8
Terrible
10
sue t
carlisle1 contribution
Apr 2021
Truly amazing experience. Family had 2 boats and both captains were incredible. Swimming with the dolphins was such an awesome experience and we had many opportunities to see and swim with the dolphins in their natural habitat. Our stop on Shell Island was great as we gathered many treasures to take back home. Captain Joey and Glenn were phenomenal and we learned so much about the dolphins and the ocean. We plan to do this again when we return next year on vacation. Didn't know what to expect and it was better than we ever expected. Thank you for an amazing and lasting memory for our family (ages 8 to 64). To see our grandchildren swimming along side the dolphins was an unbelievable, remarkable experience. And to see their expressions and excitement was the best!
Written April 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mleach25
9 contributions
May 2021 • Family
We had a four hour dolphin tour with Capt. Glen, aka “coach”, who is a retired educator with a degree in zoology. We had six in our group including two adults, two 20s, a fifteen year old, and a nine year old. Beautiful day with dolphins everywhere! We were able to get in the water for multiple dolphin encounters (did I say multiple? Many!! ) in their environment, and had them swim directly under us several times. We saw a pod of 12 dolphins and some that included some mamas and their babies. We spent some time shelling on shell island, and Capt. Glen showed us a sea turtle nest that had been recently protected, and we gathered some sea shells, and coach shared three of his sand dollar finds with us. It was truly an amazing experience and the highlight of our trip! Cant wait to come back and do it again.
Written May 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ikens4
5 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
This tour was the best I have taken! I was a little nervous about committing 4 hours to it because my boys like to be on the move, but we all were engaged the entire time! Our guide, Paul, was very friendly and seemed to really enjoy sharing his knowledge of the ocean life and ecological system with our group. The group size is small compared to other tours, so that was definitely a plus too!
We were able to swim up close with several groups of dolphins, and they were so amazing to see in their own habitat instead of in a “fish tank” environment. We loved every minute of it! We also saw an eagle ray and blacktip sharks. My kids have not stopped talking about this tour since we left over 24 hours ago. This was a really great experience for all of us!
We were able to swim up close with several groups of dolphins, and they were so amazing to see in their own habitat instead of in a “fish tank” environment. We loved every minute of it! We also saw an eagle ray and blacktip sharks. My kids have not stopped talking about this tour since we left over 24 hours ago. This was a really great experience for all of us!
Written July 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
theresa4185
Milwaukee, WI1 contribution
Jun 2022
Coach Glen was a great captain for our tour. He took the time to make sure we had a great and safe time swimming with the dolphins (AMAZING!). When we tired out from that, he took us to a schooner wreck for snorkeling. While we snorkeled, he dove down and found a TON of shells for us. Back on the boat he taught us about each of the shells and the animals that inhabited them. Even my teens were engrossed in this lesson! I would highly recommend this tour. We did the private tour for our group of 6, which was the same price as doing a group tour.
Written June 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rhydonna
Indianapolis, IN2 contributions
May 2021 • Friends
Had an absolutely fantastic time out on the water with Captain Joey! He is so fun and friendly he made you feel like you had known him for years! Prior to going on this trip to Panama City I was looking forward to the dolphin excursion the most but this far exceeded my expectations! If you are going to PCB please don't leave without doing this. You won't regret it. And if you can request Captain Joey I would!
Written June 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah S
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Family
We took the 4 hour dolphin snorkel tour and had an amazing experience. Josh was our captain and he was awesome at finding the dolphins, evaluating their behavior and getting us in the water at the right times. The snorkeling on the bay side was so fun too they provided nets for us to catch crabs, sea anemones, hermit crabs and sand dollars. After telling us about each thing we returned them to their habitat but it was so educational for us and our kids!
Recommendation - if you have your own mask / snorkel bring it with you. Snorkels are not provided. Bring a cooler food and drinks on the tour as well!
Highly recommend this tour!
Recommendation - if you have your own mask / snorkel bring it with you. Snorkels are not provided. Bring a cooler food and drinks on the tour as well!
Highly recommend this tour!
Written June 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chelsey T
1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Couples
We’ve been off the boat for almost five hours now and we are still talking about our amazing day out with Captain Joey. I can’t say enough about Water Planet and Joey. I wish we could go back tomorrow. I absolutely recommend their dolphin tolls; it’s worth every cent.
Written June 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jordan Antonovich
Saint Louis, MO49 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
Dennis and Kristy were our guides. They were so accommodating. Dennis really knows how to direct you to get up close and personal with the wild dolphins. Such an amazing experience! I can’t wait to bring my kids back. This experience was worth every penny!
Written June 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rodney M
2 contributions
May 2023 • Family
Glen was our captain and we had a great tour. Saw probably 30-40 dolphins, 3 manatees, and 2 sea turtles mating. All from a foot away at times in the water. Got to spend 50 minutes at Shell Island to relax. Very exciting tour and our captain said we had one of the best trips he’s seen. Weather and sea conditions were excellent!! Glen was very knowledgeable and nice. Once in a lifetime experience for our granddaughter. Definitely a must do in Panama City Beach.
Written May 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SmilesFromCarrie
Pendleton, IN125 contributions
Jul 2021
This was our third time with Water Planet, and it won't be our last. We had Glen (Coach) as our captain. He has Zoology degree and knew the names of every creature we came across. We had bad weather hit us shortly into our adventure, but he took the boat to calm area to ride it. So glad we did because after the storm passed, we saw non stop dolphins! (So remember this if you get caught in bad weather, there is hope!) Right now (July 20, 2021) the water is not very clear so it was very difficult to see them under water. But Glen didn't give up and we saw them under water on multiple occasions. I was close enough to touch one, but didn't as they had informed us that our fingernails are like razors on their skin. I appreciate the knowledge and respect Water Planet has for these amazing creature!!
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sarah h
7 contributions
Which tour option is the best one to swim with dolphins?
VolsFanForever
Panama City Beach, FL113 contributions
I haven’t done other tours…just Water Planet. We have done it several times, and it is amazing. So close to many dolphins! We’ve also been lucky enough to swim with manatees (just by chance) and see sea turtles and other creatures. There are only 6 people max (other than the captain) on the boat, so it is very personal. Highly recommend!
Byomkesh B
6 contributions
We will be driving down from Seaside ,is parking scarce at your place or easily available? If neither me or my 8yr kid know swimming, can we still go in water? How would that work..will there be divers/staff around us to help if things go south?
MSJ122377
Sharpsburg, GA34 contributions
Yes, they have parking at the marina. Request an intern to go in the water with your child and wear your life jackets in the water and you will float.
You really should learn how to swim for safety purposes. Not sure how they will feel about you not knowing how to swim at all. You are out in the gulf and have to swim back to get on and off the boat.
Carly F
Wisconsin16 contributions
I’m assuming this is seasonal. I’m just wondering if it’s something we could consider in mid February?
Denis R
Panama City Beach, FL15 contributions
Thank you for your question. Since January and February are generally the coldest months in Northwest Florida, we usually do not offer this tour until we re-open on March 1st.
Should you be in the area in late February, do not hesitate to contact us and we may run a tour if the conditions are favorable.
Tye88
15 contributions
Swimming with the dolphins, are you touching the dolphins?
Thanks in advance!
joycebwicked
Orange City, FL7 contributions
No they do not promote or suggest that. The dolphins are wild dolphins and may come up to you, but I don't think they would get close enough to make contact. A pod approached us about an arms length away. It was an incredible experience. We have been to SeaWorld and have touched and feed dolphins, but swimming with them in their natural environment was the best! Hearing them talk to each other underwater was an unexpected surprise!!!😊
Brooke E
Pinckneyville, IL8 contributions
Is there a price to swim or not swim with the dolphins? I have people wanting to go but not swim. Do they pay the same as a person wanting to swim?
maryannwills52
North Ridgeville, OH3 contributions
Yes same price whether swim or not
Is so worth paying to see dolphins up close to boat
We had 3 in our party that did not get in water but enjoyed boat ride
mandy h
Lubbock, TX7 contributions
Do they have larger size life jackets? Like 3x or so
erindyan74
Nichols, NY1 contribution
They had about 50 different life jackets, but not sure of the sizes. We used life jackets from 95# to #180.
How early should we book and is there refunds on stormy days? Also is the 99.00 for the whole water planet experience, that includes the boat tour?
Denis R
Panama City Beach, FL15 contributions
Thanks for your question.
The price of the wild dolphin boat tour includes the dolphin swim, snorkeling gear, life vest, dolphin educational package, free bottled water. It does not include gratuities.
Based on availability, book as early as you can.
Should the National Weather Service issue a “Small Craft Advisory” for the time of your tour, we will cancel the tour and you will have the choice of rescheduling or cancelling for a refund.