The Dolphin Study Eco-Tour and Cruise

This trip was recommended to me by another family member who had a wonderful experience. Indeed, it was wonderful to be on a boat and experience another part of Marco Island from a boat rather than just the beautiful beach. And the trip itself was absolutely fascinating information about birds, the mangroves, and of course the dolphins. We saw baby dolphins swimming with their mothers - very cool. Also saw the "backs" of a manatee. Our Naturalist, James, was very knowledgeable and couldn't have been nicer. The trip was worth every penny, as well as every minute spent -- we didn't want it to end. There would be no hesitation in doing this trip again in the future. Will also recommend it to other friends and family to try on their next trip to Marco Island.

You should definitely do this on Marco if you have any interest in animals and natural beauty. Well run and good value.

We had our Mom's with us (ages 85 and 87) and they thought it was wonderful! The naturalist and boat captain were great. We would recommend this to any age group.

I have taken this tour each year for the past 3 years on Marco Island. I've had the same captain (Chris) and naturalist (Kent) each time. They do an excellent job and are very good with all ages on the trip. It's been consistently good from year-to-year and fun to learn what has happened in the surrounding area between trips. Kent does an excellent job with photography and we each get copies of several shots taken during the trip as souvenirs. I also love the shelling opportunity that this trip provides.

Our guide provided information with detailed verbal narratives, handbook folders with pictures of dolphins in the research project, demonstration of dolphin anatomy with a head model and question/answer engagement. He stopped at a crab basket cage and explained about crab industry in the area, gave live demonstration of anatomy and uses of crab. We stopped at a secluded island to swim, shell and cool off. My grandchildren ( 9 and 13) were excited when the dolphins romped in the water waves of engine, jumping within a few feet of us for long periods of time. Guide provided info about local birds as well. Highly recommend this experiential eco tour. With an onboard printer and digital camera, our guide provided us with pictures of the specific dolphins we saw on this cruise and a family photo. Our family loves dogs and the ship Captain has a large labradoodle on board which we enjoyed, but the dog does bark alot and gets overly excited about dolphin siteings which might be a distraction for families with young children, or those who don't appreciate a loud, wet dog. Our guide is also an instructor via IPad interactive education program for elementary school age class, and discussed options for homeschoolers.

It could not have been a better experience to my 5 year old and also for my parents in law who were visiting us from Baltimore. Starting with Bob who checked us in and then the Captain and The naturalist Kent were very knowledgeable. Beautiful day!

I was on vacation with my family. All 6 of us went our different ways on the day that I took this tour. 2 of my family members went shopping and the other 3 went diving while I alone took this dolphin tour. I have to say that I had the best time of the entire group. And my other family members all wanted to book the dolphin tour after hearing about my experience. The captain and the science guide on this trip were top notch, and the experience of being in the water with dolphins is unparalleled. Best of all, we took a trip to a beautiful secluded beach on the Gulf side of the coast and enjoyed our own time in the water. What a great way to spend your time in Marco Island!

We thoroughly enjoyed our Eco-Tour and Cruise. The guides were very knowledgeable and outgoing and engaging and they were very informative about other animals inhabiting the island as well. The ride in the boat was very comfortable with complete shade over some parts and great views of Marco Island. You are allowed to stand up to get a better look at the dolphins too and the boat was secure enough for all 17 guests to stand. Tthe seating was ample, bench-type seats with 4 people to a row. The weather was perfect for a day out too. The dolphins we saw were adorable and playful; however we had expected to see many more dolphins and to have a much better view of them in the water. Don't miss them frolicking in the wake, have your camera ready to see them leap out of the water!! We especially loved the stop over for shelling. We found some beautiful, unique shells to add to our collection. What a truly memorable experience. Thank you!!

Seeing some of the dolphins fly through the air and chase after the boat was exciting. Learned how to identify them by their dorsal fin and saw a couple of babies. We enjoyed the tour very much and also liked shelling on the island.

My family and I participated in the Dolphin Study on the Dolphin Explorer on April 28th. The crew was helpful, knowledgeable and personable. We encountered over 20 wild dolphins and even saw a manatee and some turtles. My son took his responsibilities in helping identify the dolphins very seriously. The crew made the kids feel very important. The biologist on board was fantastic and very passionate about his research. The dolphins were curious and playful (one young male was flipping a mangrove pod up in the air and catching it over and over- nature's toys). We stopped on Keewaydin Island for some superior shelling. It was beautiful. Some of the dolphins even decided to catch a ride on the wake of the boat which made for some fantastic video. I definitely recommend this study to young and old alike. It was a fantastic day.