This is the trip you want if you are looking for an up-close and personal encounter with the dolphins, not just a sightseeing tour you can choose the activities and how you spend your time on the tour.
Enjoy a relaxing boat ride with dolphins and swim with them in their natural habitat. Our boats are real dive boats so kids will love seeing and swimming with dolphins.
Gabby's Dolphin Tours PCB's captains have years of experience in spotting and interpreting the behavior and movements of dolphins. We will keep the boat in a safe place and tell you when to enter the water so that you can get closer to the dolphins and mix with them.
You and your group will get into the water before the dolphins get there. In this manner, the dolphins will get curious and instead of swimming away, they’ll be drawn towards us. Considering the dolphins are wild animals, the best way to arouse their curiosity is to act uninterested in them. You can relate this to people who only seem to get interested in someone they are dating when that person shows the least indication of caring. Mom can explain this phenomena to you easily, because this is likely how she met your dad.
Seeing and swimming with the dolphins in their natural habitat on your trip aboard super-comfortable boats. Our boats are actual dive boats so the children will love finding and seeing the dolphins and having the opportunity to snorkel in the water just like a real SCUBA diver.
Our guides have spent years studying the natural behavior of dolphins. We are experts at finding them, and then safely instruct our guests how they can enter the water to observe them. Additionally, your captain will go snorkeling with you to show starfish, pufferfishes welch conchs and other types sea creatures.
Your captain will be waiting for you when you arrive at your snorkeling destination. Once you are there, your captain will dive in with you and teach you how to spot seashells. This private tour will allow you to control how your tour goes so that it is exactly what you wanted.
This trip is for you if you want to have a personal encounter with the dolphins. It's not just a sightseeing tour. You get to choose the activities and how much time you spend on the tour.
2 hour tours $59 Per Person2 hour Private Tours $299 Per Boat (maximum 13 persons).3 & 4 Hour PRIVATE Tours also available
If you want to be close to the dolphins and have the opportunity to interact with them, this trip is for your.
We will bring you as close to dolphins and as safe as possible. The dolphins will decide how close or far they want to be able to interact with them. We practice passive observation, which simply means we let the dolphins approach us. Our dolphins in St. Andrews Bay can be extremely playful and interactive. Many of our guests have memorable encounters with them.
Panama City dolphin tours and Shell Island trips with St. Andrews Bay Charters are small, private charters, for a maximum of 12 guests (no more than 13 per boat). This not only allows for a much more intimate and interactive experience but also a safer trip since you won’t be sharing the boat with anyone outside your party.
Out of the water, you’ll see a huge variety of birds, ranging from raptors like bald eagles and ospreys, to shorebirds like great blue herons and egrets, to seabirds like magnificent frigatebirds and terns. We also sometimes see deer on the island.
Swim parallel to the dolphins and not towards them or reaching to them (also illegal), we will let the dolphins come to you (best, most ethical).
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.