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The Dolphin Explorer

951 Bald Eagle Drive, Marco Island, FL 34145
239-642-6899
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Ranked #8 of 42 activities in Marco Island
Type: Tours
Owner description: A National Geographic approved tour, we see dolphins on every trip...up-close and personal. Join the crew of the Dolphin Explorer cruising the waters... more » Owner description: A National Geographic approved tour, we see dolphins on every trip...up-close and personal. 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 in Southwest Florida. On our trip, you will visit rookeries, estuaries and a barrier island that you can explore and shell. Two trips daily, seven days a week. A fabulous family adventure. « less
Useful Information: Activities for older children, Activities for young children
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90 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Sarasota, Florida
Top Contributor
128 reviews 128 reviews
24 attraction reviews
Reviews in 62 cities Reviews in 62 cities
53 helpful votes 53 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2013 NEW

This trip was one of the highlights of our visit to Marco Island. We went on the afternoon cruise and the weather was fantastic. The captain and the marine biologist/naturalist on board made sure all of us felt welcomed. They explained what the dolphin project is all about, told us about the dolphins we were seeing and made sure to... More

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See 2 more reviews by jonsha for Marco Island
Buffalo, NY
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 May 2013

Great experience with a very knowledgeable marine biologist. We took the tour on a sunny morning in May. The tour was very informative and interesting. The captain was great about getting close to the dolphins and allowing everybody the chance to see the wildlife. I don't remember how many dolphins we saw, too many to count. The digital camera photos... More

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See 4 more reviews by yumo23 for Marco Island
Park Ridge, IL
Top Contributor
56 reviews 56 reviews
22 attraction reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2013

I have been on a few nature boat trips and this was by far the most fun and informative. The trip was educational and fun. Michael, the boat's captain, and James, the marine biologist, did a wonderful job locating the dolphins and then putting the boat in the best position to see the dolphins. We saw numerous groupings including moms... More

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Avon, Connecticut
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 April 2013

My family and I took the Dolphin Explorer tour in mid April. I had older and younger kids and they all enjoyed it. Each kid received a dolphin guide to use for tracking specific dolphins and other animals... they were really into it. At each Dolphin sighting the naturalist (this guy was great) would print photos and the kids had... More

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New York, NY
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 April 2013

The host was very knowledgeable. Captain takes you to areas where you'll see quite alot of dolphins swimming/playing up close to the boat. They took pictures of dolphins and us and gave them to us. Complimentary water/sodas. Well worth the trip.

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See 3 more reviews by Nilly808 for Marco Island
Elmira, New York
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
7 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 March 2013 via mobile

I took my two grandchildren, age 6 and 9 along with my daughter and my significant other on this tour, it was fantastic! Captain Chris and his side-kick Riley (I think a laberdoodle...the most well-mannered dog ever) were excellent Captains They steered us to many different spots where we got to see and identify dolphins. James, the naturalist, was a... More

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See 8 more reviews by Laurieli for Marco Island
Ottawa
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
25 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 March 2013

We went on the dolphin explorer trip one morning. Sadly the weather was a little chilly, but with ample layering of clothes (and hats and gloves) we were comfortable. The person we booked with was very helpful in warning us about dressing properly. The trip itself is about 3 hours and includes a 35-40 minute beach walk to do some... More

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See 2 more reviews by ChairmanMike for Marco Island
Hamburg, Germany
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 March 2013

Very nice trip, very friendly crew, we saw many dolphins, the crew knew exactly were to go, loved the shelling. We saw many ospreys, took nice pictures! Everyone should take this tour.

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Woodstock, NY
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 March 2013 via mobile

Everything about the Dolphin Explorer was top notch & exactly as advertised! We were first given an overview by Bob on shore, then Captain Chris & naturalist, Ken, settled us onto the large catamaran accompanied by Riley, the captain's 2yo labradoodle. Within about 10 minutes we saw our first dolphins, and over the rest of the trip we saw many... More

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Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
7 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 February 2013

We booked this tour after being recommended by a friend! This tour was the highlight of our trip from the adults to my 7 year old! We saw dolphins throughout the tour and had an opportunity to identify which dolphins we found based on their fin markings, followed by an insland stop for shelling! The guides were very patient, enthusiastic... More

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