“We had so much fun today swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling, and playing on Shell Island! I would highly recommend this company. This was the highlight of our vacation.” – Christy
Your captain will direct you in the right direction so that you can see the dolphins close up.
If conditions allow, guests are welcome to get in the water when dolphins are nearby. Safety is always our first priority, and your captain will instruct you how to safely snorkel around marine mammals.
Rent a pontoonboat and become your own guide! Our pontoon boats can be rented for guests who want to charter their own boat. We will mail you our Map, which includes the location of our preferred snorkeling locations, sandbars as well as common dolphin areas.
MINIMUM SIZE: 13 guests (includes children) per boat. Family Cruiser regulations are for 13 passengers.
Cancellation requests made within 24 hours of the tour date/time CANNOT receive a refund due to the time it takes to reserve the seats for other clients, and WILL be charged the full amount of the tour.
"We had soo much fun today playing on Shell Island, swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling and having fun! I would recommend this company. This was the highlight on our vacation." - Christy
The Dolphin Tour boat is smaller than other larger tour boats, with a maximum capacity of six passengers. This includes children of all ages. The dolphins are often disturbed by large groups of people, and this can lead to them being driven away. We will get you in the water quickly, and, most importantly, we won't scare the dolphins away.
Visit our Pricing & Information page for complete details about pricing, policies and what to expect.
If conditions permit, guests may go into the water with dolphins if possible. Safety is always our number one priority. Your captain can show you how safely to snorkel around marine mammals.
"We had so many fun today swimming with the dolphins and snorkeling on Shell Island. I highly recommend this company. This was the highlight our vacation." - Christy
It was a great way for a day to be spent! I took my 22-year old son and two of his friends on a half-day trip. The day was great and the pontoon boat was great. Rob was great! Everyone had the best time.
We had a wonderful time. The captain was awesome. Even showed us a type of jelly fish that doesn't sting. We stopped at an area of shell island that had lots of shells. Great time was had by all and will definitely go back again.
There are 13 maximum guests per boat so you have the best chance of swimming with dolphins. Personalize a private trip to make memories you will never forget. Flippers Dolphin Tours has been consistently ranked as Panama City Beach's top thing to do by Yelp since 2010. Our Captains are local experts about Bottlenose Dolphins.
It's all worth it once you get there because the water is the most beautiful I've ever seen. The water is so clear that it feels like you're swimming in a pool. We had no idea what to expect, so we went with the intention of spending a few hours on the island. Come prepared to spend the entire day!
Dolphins, loggerhead turtles, green sea turtles, ghost crabs, beach mice, nine-banded armadillos, alligators that live in the island's lake, marsh rabbits, racoons, and other wildlife can be found on Shell Island.
Wear nothing but a swimsuit. Dolphins have extremely sensitive skin, and because you will be able to touch them during your interaction, we recommend that you refrain from wearing sunscreen, oils, or perfumes.