Paradise Dolphin Cruises
Paradise Dolphin Cruises
5
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Eager to channel your inner explorer while visiting Wanchese? Join us aboard the Kokomo for the ocean excursion of a lifetime. With over ten years in the business and a true love of the open water, our captain and crew are here to ensure your safety and provide an exhilarating experience for the whole family. We’ll cruise the Roanoke Sound and keep an eye out for the majestic Bottlenose dolphins that inhabit the waters. There’s no telling what exciting encounters are in store! So climb aboard, and we’ll set sail for adventure -- we can’t wait to share the ocean and all its magic with you.
Wanchese, North Carolina
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Paradise Dolphin Cruises
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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
451 reviews
Excellent
417
Very good
19
Average
4
Poor
4
Terrible
7
K. Woot
4 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
A fun adventure that is well worth the time and money. We took the sunset cruise and it was beautiful! Our boys loved being on the boat! We saw lots of dolphins, and osprey nests, as well as a beautiful view of Bodie lighthouse. The operators were funny, entertaining, and gave us lots of local history as we went. We loved our experience with these guys, and highly recommend them to you as well. A great trip!
Written July 8, 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.
Sofia F.
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • Family
If you are looking for a review that covers how the experience is during COVID-19 times, look no further. From my experience, DO NOT take this trip if you are looking to stay remotely healthy. There are zero safety measures taking place in the dock and dolphin boat itself. No one wears face masks or any form of PPE, not even the boat drivers. There is no social distancing and everyone is extremely close together, packed like sardines. The boat drivers (two young men) did not wear masks or reinforce the Dare County policy of face masks, AND allowed multiple different people to steer the boat.
Before the trip, I looked to see if any safety measures were explicitly said on the website. There were none listed, but I assumed that they would follow Dare County policies. Nope. I should’ve turned back around as soon as I saw that boat packed and zero masks.
Honestly, I’m sure one can find something better to do for two hours. I fell asleep during the entirety of it twice. There’s infinite possibilities!
Before the trip, I looked to see if any safety measures were explicitly said on the website. There were none listed, but I assumed that they would follow Dare County policies. Nope. I should’ve turned back around as soon as I saw that boat packed and zero masks.
Honestly, I’m sure one can find something better to do for two hours. I fell asleep during the entirety of it twice. There’s infinite possibilities!
Written July 6, 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.
Linda M
Grimesland, NC8 contributions
Jun 2022
We took a sunset cruise on 6/13/22 and it was amazing! I saw more dolphins in the 2 hour cruise in the sound than I have ever seen. Even a mom with a tiny, tiny baby!
The captain was funny, friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the area and about dolphin behavior. The entire boat was engaged in spotting for dolphins and it was easily the best dolphin cruise I have ever been on. Leaving from a working boat yard was super interesting as well. Definitely recommend booking a tour with them if you are in the Manteo/Nags Head area. You won't be disappointed!
The captain was funny, friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the area and about dolphin behavior. The entire boat was engaged in spotting for dolphins and it was easily the best dolphin cruise I have ever been on. Leaving from a working boat yard was super interesting as well. Definitely recommend booking a tour with them if you are in the Manteo/Nags Head area. You won't be disappointed!
Written June 17, 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.
Rebecca C
4 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
We had a wonderful time on the Dolphin Sunset Cruise! Within ten minutes of pulling away from the dock, we were floating among the dolphins! It was such fun to watch them all around us! Our crew members were excellent! They clearly cared about giving us the best possible experience - which they did. They were entertaining with their facts and stories and kept the young kids in the boat engaged as well. I cannot say enough good things about our experience and I look forward to going out again the next time we are in the area.
Written July 31, 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.
Dawn P
Fort Lauderdale, FL5 contributions
Aug 2022
Captain Jay was great - took us right to a pod of dolphins and we saw at least 30 of them. He gave great commentary throughout and even with a full boat; there was plenty of opportunities to take photos and great views from wherever you were sitting. Thank you - highly recommended for anyone visiting the Outer Banks! We did the sunset tour also which was great!
Written August 14, 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.
Jennifer S
2 contributions
Sep 2020
Called and specifically asked about social distancing. Was told they were operating at 50% capacity due to Covid and that masks were required. They booked every seat on this small, dirty catamaran with water everywhere. No one was wearing masks or required too. The owner/ operator of boat showed zero concern regarding Dare County laws during this pandemic. Will be filing formal County complaint. This was by far the stupidest, most dangerous thing I have done since a Covid began.
Written September 15, 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.
Jane N
1 contribution
Jun 2022
We were treated to a beautiful day that started with seeing several dophins within 5 minutes of leaving the dock. The next hour and a half we were treated to about 20 dolphins swimming around the boat and in the wake of the boat and finally jumping and feeding within 20 feet of the boat. The crew was awesome-giving us some background info on the area and making sure everyone on board felt comfortable and were enjoying the cruise.
Written June 23, 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.
UNCfan96
Greensboro, NC9 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
What a fantastic experience! We started off our week at the Outer Banks with this dolphins cruise. We were not disappointed. We found the dolphin pod about 15 minutes into the cruise and then watched them play for about 20 minutes. There was even a baby dolphin! The captain then headed south in the sound so we could enjoy the view and get some wind in our hair. We even found a second pod of dolphins. The boat ride was super smooth aside from a few rolling waves caused by the wake of passing boats. The guides were informative, funny but also left plenty of silence so that we could soak up nature’s beauty. My 7 year old loved the experience, declaring it one of her favorite vacation moments. High praise indeed 😊
Written July 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.
Loves_Great_Travel
Alexandria, Virginia12 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
We found this tour by total accident and so glad we did. I rarely say something exceeds my expectations but this cruise did.
We went on a Friday night sunset cruise. The staff was both entertaining and informative. They could not have been nicer. They even gave the kids keepsakes. We actually had an incident where a crab pot tangled in the boat but they made it seem so fun that we didn’t even care that the captain had to jump into the water to free us. He came back on to thunderous applause.
We saw a whole lot of dolphins including a mother and baby. There was a beautiful sunset, great vibes and overall a great time.
I really could not have asked for more. Take this cruise!!!
We went on a Friday night sunset cruise. The staff was both entertaining and informative. They could not have been nicer. They even gave the kids keepsakes. We actually had an incident where a crab pot tangled in the boat but they made it seem so fun that we didn’t even care that the captain had to jump into the water to free us. He came back on to thunderous applause.
We saw a whole lot of dolphins including a mother and baby. There was a beautiful sunset, great vibes and overall a great time.
I really could not have asked for more. Take this cruise!!!
Written June 26, 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.
Danielle F
Newark, NY2 contributions
May 2021 • Family
We went on the tour may 15th and it was great it was a small group so that was wonderful. We saw dolphins and birds. The kids loved it. The captain was wonderful they were both very knowledgeable and answered any questions the kids had. They give the first person a surprise for finding a dolphin well they gave a surprise to the children and they loved it! Highly recommend and we will do it again
Written June 1, 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.
We called to schedule our tour and they didn't take a payment over the phone. We paid when we arrived.
Written September 6, 2018
How long is the boat ride? Is there a group discount?
Written April 14, 2018
It is a 2 hour boat ride. Unsure of whether or not there are group rates. We can aid $20/adult & $15/child. Children under 5 were free!
Written August 22, 2018
A Tripadvisor member
Eugene, Oregon
1 contribution
We paid $25 per person and found the information for scheduling online at their website. We had to call to reserve and they were happy to reschedule when things changed.
Written March 3, 2018
allforone8403
Morrison, Illinois
We will be visiting in mid October. Is this a good time of year to be able to spot dolphins?
Written January 22, 2018
I need to make a reservation via email, is this possible ?
Written August 30, 2017
I see they don't have email, just phone. I actually booked it by calling them from my OBX house just 24 hours before. It was very easy that way, and they have cruises several times each day. I think you'd be safe in booking it once you get to the Outerbanks. :-)
Written September 3, 2017
Do you have an email address I can send in a reservation as Im in the UK thanks
Written August 13, 2017
Do you have a bathroom on the boat? Thanks
Written August 19, 2016
Yes There is. There is also restrooms on the dock you can use prior to going out on the water!
Written August 22, 2018
Do you need reservations & what's the cost per person including children
Written July 9, 2016
Is there a semi covered or canopy area on the boat? One person in our party can't be in direct sun for long periods.
Written July 8, 2016
Yes, the whole thing is covered.
Written July 13, 2016
Showing results 1-10 of 11
*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.