The Dolphin Explorer
The Dolphin Explorer
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Boat ToursEco ToursSightseeing ToursDolphin & Whale Watching
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About
A National Geographic approved tour, we see dolphins in their natural habitat. Our dolphin study team will teach you how to identify our individuals and you'll learn all about them! Join the crew of the Dolphin Explorer cruising the waters of Marco Island in search of dolphins as part of the only dolphin research study team in Southwest Florida. On our trip, you will visit rookeries, estuaries and a barrier beach and learn how important they are to our dolphin habitat plus you can explore and shell on the beach! Two trips daily, seven days a week. A fabulous family adventure led by experienced and well educated professionals.
Marco Island, Florida
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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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
1,772 reviews
Excellent
1,699
Very good
60
Average
6
Poor
2
Terrible
5
Bob
Evergreen Park, IL1 contribution
Dec 2020
One word describes our Dolphin Study Eco-Tour experience, WOW! Captain Eddie and Bob were very cordial and extremely knowledgeable about all of southwest Florida's wildlife and ecosystems. Bob was especially patient and great with the children on the tour.
We were hoping to see a few dolphins and within the first hour, we saw 14 different dolphins. It was amazing how some would recognize the sound of the boat and follow us. They were jumping and playing in our wake allowing us ample opportunity to take videos and up close photos.
Our experience was worth every penny and I would highly recommend the Dolphin Explorer to others.
We were hoping to see a few dolphins and within the first hour, we saw 14 different dolphins. It was amazing how some would recognize the sound of the boat and follow us. They were jumping and playing in our wake allowing us ample opportunity to take videos and up close photos.
Our experience was worth every penny and I would highly recommend the Dolphin Explorer to others.
Written December 22, 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.
julie k
3 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
Dolphin Explorer never fails to exceed our expectations!
The staff is so knowledgeable and so friendly that they make the trip quite a pleasurable one.
I would recommend this trip to anyone of any age. You will not be disappointed.As a matter of fact that evening When I was standing in line waiting to get in a very popular restaurant I told everyone in line with me about it and I was so enthusiastic they all said they were planning on making a visit.
We saw many dolphins, had a great time shelling, and learned so much from the dolphin Explorer team. This was our 4th time in the last 5 years and I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year.
The staff is so knowledgeable and so friendly that they make the trip quite a pleasurable one.
I would recommend this trip to anyone of any age. You will not be disappointed.As a matter of fact that evening When I was standing in line waiting to get in a very popular restaurant I told everyone in line with me about it and I was so enthusiastic they all said they were planning on making a visit.
We saw many dolphins, had a great time shelling, and learned so much from the dolphin Explorer team. This was our 4th time in the last 5 years and I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year.
Written January 23, 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.
Katie S
1 contribution
Mar 2021 • Family
Our party of four adults and one 14 yr old went on the three hour Dolphin Explorer tour which ended up being the best experience on our five day trip! Captain Eddy was very straightforward and customer-conscious in his introductory boat orientation and Master Naturalist Bob was so engaged with us and made learning about the dolphins interesting and fun. There were some educational activities for the smaller kids on the tour and Bob took pictures of all the dolphins we saw and pointed out the ones he recognized in the dolphin fin catalogues that he gave us to reference at the beginning of the tour. Captain Eddy is so familiar with dolphin behavior that he was able to get several dolphins to follow the boat and we were lucky enough to see them jumping playfully in the wake many times! Bob talked about the dolphin families and biology/habits of the individual members of the pods. Towards the last part of the tour, Captain Eddy took us to a great shelling spot. We were provided with complimentary shelling bags and Bob took each family group’s picture as we got off the boat. We had 30 min to look for shells and when we got back to the boat Bob had complimentary print outs of the best pictures he had taken on the tour, including our group picture. For the money this is the best, most engaging, entertaining, generous, and customer-centric dolphin tour you will find on Marco Island! Highly recommend to everyone!
Written March 15, 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.
Connie U
1 contribution
Feb 2020
We had 6 adults that booked an excursion with the Dolphin Explorer group. We had an amazing experience. Captain Michael and Naturalist Bob were awesome. They were very knowledgeable about the dolphins and wildlife in the area. Both Michael and Bob were extremely friendly and welcoming. They were eager to answer any and all questions from the group on the boat. The children on board were kept engaged by having a booklet to check off things they saw while on the tour. Each group was given a detailed notebook with pictures and explanations of how the dolphins are identified. We saw a total of 14 dolphins.....some in groups of 1 or 2 and one grouping of 9! Captain Michael and Bob kept the boat at the sightings for ample time to see and enjoy the dolphins. They even got the dolphins to "play" in the wake of the boat on 2 occasions. The boat stops at a beach to give people a chance to get off and collect shells if they so desire. Everyone is provided with a bag to collect their shells. There is free water and a bathroom on board the boat and plenty of covered space if you want to stay out of the sun. At the end of the tour, we were given (free) a picture of our family (taken by Bob on the beach) along with a picture of one of the dolphins we saw and a blue heron. The tour is 3 hours and I personally could have gone for more. I would without a doubt HIGHLY recommend this tour if you are in the Marco Island area. Well worth every the reasonable cost.
Written February 23, 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.
Debi V
South Paris, ME5 contributions
Apr 2021
Our favorite dolphin site was a mom and a 3-month old calf swimming close to the Sand Dollar Spit Island, where we docked for about 40 minutes to collect shells during the cruise. We saw 19 different "named" dolphins and several more (total of about 22) that might have just been "visiting" the area for a few days, according to our excellent hosts, Bob and Captain Eddie during our 3-hour cruise. Both of our hosts were knowledgeable and friendly and yet not intrusive with conversation. We couldn't have had a better pair! We would do this cruise again next time we visit and would certainly recommend it to anyone we know who might be making a trip to Marco Island! It was the best and our most fun day of vacationing in the area! I've found what I want to do for a profession when I retire now - :)
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.
Colinshire
Bracebridge, Canada17 contributions
Feb 2020
Wow ... considering there is no guarantee that we would see a dolphin due to weather conditions, etc, we hit the jackpot! Captain Michael took us to a bay between mangrove islands and we became surrounded by 10-16 dolphins playing wildly all around the boat. Even he and the naturalist (sorry, I never heard his name) seemed genuinely surprised by how much activity we saw.
More inportantly perhaps was how helpful the fellows were to passengers. My wife has mobility problems, and we had concerns about her boarding the boat. There were two steps from the dock onto the deck, and the guys were there to help with each step. Fantastic!
I would recommend this tour to anyone whether or not you have seen dolphins before.
More inportantly perhaps was how helpful the fellows were to passengers. My wife has mobility problems, and we had concerns about her boarding the boat. There were two steps from the dock onto the deck, and the guys were there to help with each step. Fantastic!
I would recommend this tour to anyone whether or not you have seen dolphins before.
Written February 25, 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.
Frankie925
Portsmouth, NH12 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
Not sure why this isnt rated #1 as there is no better dolphin experience than this in SW Florida! The price is very reasonable and the experience is better than any others we’ve heard about. This is a really educational excursion w workbooks for the kids to chronicle their dolphin sightings as well as other wildlife. We saw dozens of dolphins, all w names based on markings the kids could cross reference in the dolphin explorer handbook. The trip concluded w about a half hour of shelling on Tiger Tail Beach. The boat was much improved from the one they were using 5 years ago when we took our older grandchildren, with seating all around the sides, plenty of coverage from the sun for those needing it, and even a bathroom so staying hydrated wasn’t a concern! The captain and guide were incredibly interesting and very knowledgeable scientists who made the kids feel like they were mini explorers as they learned about the life cycle of dolphins and enjoyed watching grandparents, mothers and baby dolphins playing in the wake throughout most of the afternoon! Would highly recommend choosing this tour/dolphin study over any others around!!
Written March 8, 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.
Bruce D
Marco Island, FL4 contributions
Feb 2020
We took our company senior leadership and their families on the Dolphin Explorer as a thank you for a great business year. The trip was fantastic. The crew was very friendly and knowledgeable and the boat extremely clean. We had 4 children ages from 6 to 12 and they were thoroughly entertained. The 3 hour tour first went up the Big Marco River where we saw many dolphins and learned their names and how they live around Marco Island. We then went back down the river to the mouth of the gulf and saw more. Finally we got off the boat on Tigertail Spit where we gatherer seashells. Everyone got a bag which they filled with many brightly colored shells and sand dollars. The trip is well worth it.
Written February 2, 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.
DeeWestChester_OH
West Chester, OH4 contributions
Jan 2020
We went on the tour with Capt Eddie, Bob and Kelly. It was outstanding. Everywhere we went there were dolphins! Twice dolphins were playing and jumping in the boat’s wake, which is amazing to see up close. At Tigertail Beach we saw 10 dolphins; five Moms and 5 babies. They were also playing and jumping out of the water. It was an amazing day. The staff is great. We highly recommend Dolphin Explorer. We will be back!
Written January 19, 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.
Kiki LP
2 contributions
Jan 2020
This was a wonderful and eco-conscious way of seeing dolphins in southwest Florida. The boat is comfortable with plenty of seating and the crew was fantastic. I believe we had captain Michael and Bob taking photos, and they were both very informative and friendly. They have an extensive catalogue of their known dolphins in the area, and they take pictures of the dorsal fins as they come out of the water in order to keep track of and identify each dolphin quickly. This allows them to keep an eye on the local dolphins without the need to ever capture or tag them. There was plenty of water in the cooler and the small 30-minute stop at Tigetail beach was a wonderful little treat before the end of the tour. I'd recommend this to anyone visiting the area who wants to spend some time on the water looking at beautiful creatures.
Written January 27, 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.
Hi, our trips are typically 9:00 and 1:00 but during our slower season we may only go out for 1 trip. You can book online or call us at 239-642-6899. We hope to see you on a future tour!
Written May 11, 2018
Hi, we do not swim with the dolphins. We are dealing with wild free dolphins. Thank you for your interest in our Dolphin Explorer
Written March 5, 2018
The trip was 3 hours long. They offer a trip in the morning and one in the afternoon. We took the 1 pm - 4 pm trip.
Written May 3, 2017
Lawrence O"Connell
Bonita Springs, Florida
prices for seniors adults and kids over 10
Written March 31, 2017
Srs are $64 plus taxes/fees. $69 for others plus t/fees. You can go to their website and click on reservations and prices come up.
Written October 15, 2017
Lawrence O"Connell
Bonita Springs, Florida
What is the pricing for seniors, adults/ children over 10 years
Written March 31, 2017
Melissa H
41 contributions
Has anyone been seasick on this excursion? My 6 year old was a little queasy a few years ago when we went on a whale watching boat trip up in Cape Cod.
Written March 10, 2017
The boat does not go fast like a speed boat. It is a liesurly cruise. The waters are calm in the areas they go. Should not be a problem.
Written April 30, 2017
Cathy F
West Chester, Pennsylvania
My wife needs a rollator to get around. Is the boat easy to get in and out? can she get to the beach to look for shells?
Written February 14, 2017
It would be difficult. Getting to beach from boat is down a ladder. Don't think it would work. Okay to sit and wait in the boat while you look for shells.
Written March 13, 2017
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.