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Florida Panhandle
Panama City Beach
Things to Do in Panama City Beach
Shell Island Blue Dolphin Tours
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Shell Island Blue Dolphin Tours

See all things to do
See all things to do
Shell Island Blue Dolphin Tours
5
411 reviews
#20 of 179 Outdoor Activities in Panama City Beach
Swim with Dolphins • Boat Tours • Boat Rentals • Dolphin & Whale Watching
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8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
3601 Thomas drive. Our hut is in the palm tree lined parking lot behind the Seafood market on the water.
Panama City Beach, Florida
Features animals
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022
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Shell Island Blue Dolphin Tours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
411 reviews
Excellent
367
Very good
25
Average
4
Poor
8
Terrible
7
Rolla M
Fridley4 contributions
Fantastic Family Fun
Feb 2023
We booked this dolphin tour as a group of 5 - grandparents, parents & 4 1/2 year old. I paid a little extra so we could have the boat to ourselves (6 person boat). This was so worth it; every single one of us absolutely loved it! Captain Guy took us to all the dolphin areas, plus gave us some history of the area. Our littlest one fell asleep before we saw dolphins, and when she woke up he drove back a ways to make sure she saw them. He even let her drive the boat! I highly recommend Shell Island Blue Dolphin Tours. We will be back - and we will request Captain Guy!
Written February 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Megan R
Chickamauga, GA1 contribution
Wonderful Trip!
Oct 2022 • Family
This is a YES! We called last minute for a party of 8. Captain Chad came in on his day off and it was heaven! We toured around looking for dolphin pods and encountered several! I even got to jump in the water and swim by them as they swam past our boat, including a mama dolphin and her calf. Captain Chad also took us to some perfectly clear water and set anchor so we could swim off the beach of Shell Island.
We had two families 4 adults and 4 kids (infant - six year olds) and this could not have been more perfect.
We saw some jelly fish and a few of us saw a sea turtle.
If you are on the fence about booking with this company, don’t be. Just do it!! We will be back! Thank you Captain Chad and Blue Dolphin Tours for memories that will last a lifetime.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kim H
Kansas City, MO6 contributions
Wonderful experience!!!!
Feb 2021 • Family
This was a last minute booking for us for the sunset tour and it was amazing. Turtle was our tour guide and he did an incredible job. We saw so many dolphins and wildlife and he did a great job informing us of different areas and offered to stop on the beach, it was absolutely lovely. We cannot recommend them enough and can’t wait to bring the rest of our family back this summer! Clean boats, excellent service and a great price!
Written February 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Codi W
1 contribution
10/10 Tour to shell Island--- MUST experience
Aug 2020 • Couples
Capt turtle was awsome. We booked the private tour arrived and promptly after set sail. We saw dolphins within the bay, and proceeded to chase down multiple pods and were able to swim and see the dolphins extremely well around shell island. After we were wore out from swimming with the dolphins we anchored and searched for sea shells. Phenominal trip, huge thanks to Captain Turtle, great guide very informative, pleasant to be around and was great at positioning the ship for being up close and personal with the dolphins. Couldn't be happier with our tour.
Written August 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Christopher H
20 contributions
Premium Pontoon Rental
Mar 2020
We rented a premium pontoon boat from Shell Island Boat Rentals. We were able to book and secure online in mere minutes. The boat was clean and ready to go when we arrived. We were given a nice briefing about safety and places of interest. The boat had the exact same map of interest areas and areas to avoid (sand bars/ Gulf of Mexico). You are not allowed to take the boat into the gulf of Mexico but there is plenty to do and see in the bay as well as shell island. There are plenty of places to anchor and have lunch, walk, and enjoy some quiet areas.
The premium pontoon boat is very nice, comfortable, modern, and has all the needs for a nice day on the water.
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mandi L
Jacksonville, AL36 contributions
Always an amazing experience!
Jun 2021 • Family
We’ve toured yearly with Blue Dolphin since 2014. I won’t even consider another company. This year Keaton/Turtle was our Captain and he was fantastic! This company has excellent safety standards and tours responsibly. None of the buffoonery that you see from the other companies touring at the same time. That’s precisely why we continue to use them.

This trip was with my husband, our teen daughters, and my sister. Keaton was a fantastic guide and had us in the water very quickly! He laid out the plan and instructions as we were leaving the marina, and that helped us be ready to hop in the water immediately upon his direction. After the dolphins departed we went on a bay tour and then he took us to find sand dollars and starfish, which was beyond amazing! Keaton explained things to us about the wildlife we would see and how to safely and responsibly interact with them, which is very important to me, personally. Thanks for another great tour, Keaton!
Written June 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kaylyn C
Arvada, CO2 contributions
2nd dolphin tour
Jul 2020 • Friends
We had Captain Bryce and he was so professional and knowledgeable and even Fun!
He really made sure we saw a sign many dolphins as possible and kept us all entertained.
Best 3 hours of the whole trip. Take some fins! Sometimes a dolphin will slow down and let you swim along with them.
Thanks Captain Bryce... we are coming back!
Written July 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
kboysmom2015
Beaver Dam, WI52 contributions
Totally worth it!
Jun 2021 • Family
So fun, but also very professional and safe. Our family had a wonderful time! We did the 4 hour tour. Plenty of time to watch dolphins and snorkel for unique finds. My kids are 13 and 15 and my husband and I had just as much fun as they did.
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and did his best to find us cool things underwater like sand dollars and urchins, but we found many ourselves, too. We also found starfish.
The dolphins were definitely the highlight of the trip. There were several pods and we often saw more than 12 together swimming right near our boat. We were able to get in the water near them but they did not come right up to us personally. They were extremely close swimming around us. The high traffic from other boats made it difficult to stay in the water with them more than about 2-5 minutes at a time. The captain did his best to go to areas that were quieter and told us a lot about the different behaviours the dolphins were doing. It was definitely worth it! He also showed us great places to come snorkelling on our own the following day to continue the experience.
Written June 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Natalie M
Warner Robins, GA1 contribution
2 hour Dolphin tour with Turtle
Jun 2021 • Couples
Wonderful experience!!!! TURTLE WAS AMAZING! He was our Captain, and as first timers out there, we couldn't have had a better Captain. He was knowledgeable, explained everything (and all the "why's") and really tailored our experience for us. He even figured out a way to keep us warm when it got chilly on our way back. Such a wonderful and kind human. We felt confident out there with him, he really knows what he's doing and has passion for it that shows. We are making a return trip just weeks after our first one, and we're hoping to see him again. What a wonderful and beautiful experience, we're hooked. Thank you Turtle. Everyone should have this experience. My mind still cannot comprehend the beauty of it.
Written June 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jkkirkland
Atlanta, GA15 contributions
Fantastic day!
Aug 2020 • Family
We booked a private 2-hour excursion for our family of four. Captain Turtle (Keaton) was an excellent host. It turned out to be a great day for finding dolphins. We jumped in a bunch of times and watched dolphins swimming around and below us. We saw 20 or more dolphins in total, and had a great time doing it. The boat ride was super fun, and it was relaxing to snorkel for shells. It was a great day and a great experience!
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Shell Island Blue Dolphin Tours (Panama City Beach) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go