Of all the places to see and do while in the Chesapeake Bay Area, you owe it to yourself to try the dolphin kayak tour. Absolutely a fun trip. I went on the 930 am tour out of first landing on the beach, and I must say, every guide was knowledgeable, professional, and safety oriented. That to me, is the most important. What sets this apart from other companies? Firstly, Matt, the owner, answered all my questions regarding what your to take, and, he has been in business for over 27 years. The historical side of the tour is fascinating, as the guides talk about the maritime history as well as the anthropological history of the area. The company does provide dry bags just in case. The icing on the cake was having a bottle nosed dolphin swim within five feet of my kayak! Superb. read more

Chesapean Outdoors - Kayak tour with Chesapean outdoors - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

What a fun time Kayaking with the dolphins!! Brock was our tour guide and he made all of us feel comfortable and was very patient! We had many different levels of experience in our group and he worked with each and every one of us! Highly recommend this company and the dolphin tour. Great for beginners all the way up to advanced kayakers!! You won't be disappointed! read more

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What an amazing first kayak experience! Not only were Tommy and Ryan fun and knowledgeable about the park and wildlife, but their coworkers - the dolphins - were incredible. Highly recommend the sunset ride because the views in the Chesapeake were amazing. Cannot recommend Chesapean Outdoors enough! read more

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Our family did the evening Cape Tour with Matt and had the best time. Matt did a great job communicating where to meet and what to expect. We appreciated his flexibility with allowing us some freedom on the water, as we're experienced kayakers...although from the Midwest and not the coast. He was super knowledgeable about dolphins and did a great job putting us in a good position to see the dolphins and their babies swimming into the bay. We had a break on the beach and Matt shared more interesting facts about ocean life and what washes up on the beaches. Matt was kind enough to take many pictures/videos of our group and shared them with us. We even had a mini charcuterie and drinks at the end of our trip. So glad we chose Chesapeake Outdoors for our guided trip. Would absolutely recommend. read more

Before my lady and I went to Virginia Beach recently, I was looking up things to do, and the sunset dolphin kayaking tour from this place popped up on my search. The place itself had really good reviews, and I do love dolphins, so I thought it would be a great experience for us both. I scored us a reservation online, which was super easy, for a Wednesday evening at 5:30pm. I received a confirmation email almost immediately with the info on where to go for the event. Note: DEFINITELY read the proper time/location information before going. My lady and I were late because I read the wrong info. Still, Tom, one of the employees, was waiting for us there at the location. He made sure we got everything we needed, instructed us on maneuvering the kayak, and help us meet with everyone else on the tour. I've had lots of kayak experience, but my lady is not, so Tom made sure she was comfortable and talked to her making sure she wasn't nervous or scared at all. We met up with the others on the water in no time and the tour continued. The tour itself was very relaxing and laid back. The guides took us to spots that dolphins regularly frequent. With the sun just starting to set, and a light breeze blowing, it felt just right. Unfortunately, we didn't see any dolphins (ya can't predict nature), but we did see a beautiful bald eagle perched upon a post in the water. Even with no dolphins on this tour, my lady and I really enjoyed our time on the water. After about an hour and a half, we headed back for shore, and the guides offered to take sunset pics for us before we left. All the guides were very friendly. Overall, this was a really cool experience, dolphins or not, plus I always love kayaking. I could see my lady and I doing this again next time we're in the area. Only next time, I'll get the time/location right, and we WON'T be late. read more

Chesapean Outdoors - My beauty right in front! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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We had the most wonderful time on the water today with Pearce and Will! We saw so many dolphins. We were thrilled. And the guides were so knowledgeable. Highly recommend this great small business! Totally worth the price. read more

I have done kayak tours in the past( not in VA), the experience has been a mixed but the one led by Mike from Chesapean Outdoors was one of the few great ones. Super friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Did I get to see some of the dolphins? I just saw the shadows of one. I knew when booking this type of tours it could that I can see or can not. Besides that note, I really enjoyed kayaking. To be honest, I booked the tour because I wanted to kayak. I am still hesistant to do it alone and even more when it involves waters with expossure to the ocean. :) As for why this company and not book a tour with the other ones? I did my research on the different companies that provide this service in the area and what caught my attention about this one was their efforts for fundraising funds for water in communities impacted by Operations Smiles. In addition, the laid back and attention to detail when it comes to reaching out to the client. read more

We had an awesome time and it exceeded our expectations. We booked last minute for a Friday sunset tour for our last night in VB. We saw so many dolphins and the weather conditions were ideal. The lead guide said it was one of the top five tours he's ever lead and for first timers like us, it was incredible to be so close to so many dolphins with my two sons who never kayaked before. There were so many that passed by us, making blow hole sounds, slapping their tails, etc. The guides were awesome throughout the trip and afterwards shared some photos with us and local recommendations. This was way more enjoyable for me compared to the whale watching from a boat tour I did near Cape Cod before. read more

My Mr. really wanted to do this tour. The combination of Kayaking and seeing Dolphins sounds very fun. I haven't kayaked for more than 10 years so I was quite nervous. Especially in the Ocean. My Mr. is more experienced. He went online and purchased the tickets. $60.00 dollars per person. We made sure to check the weather. Perfect... 70 degrees and sunny. Our reservations was at 5:30 Pm (2 hour tour). Make sure you read your email carefully on the times and locations. We made a mistake and went to the wrong location, so we paid the price and was late. Our meeting place was at First Landing State Park. The company was very laid back and waited for us. The people that were there already took off. The person (Tom) who waited for us was very helpful and patient. He gave me a quick lesson. Made sure I was comfortable before getting in the water. Once in the ocean, I got used to it, I wasn't scared anymore. Our tour guide was talking to us to help ease my nervousness. He mentioned that it's easier to kayak in the ocean versus the river. It's much smoother. He was right. We finally up with the group. There were 3 other tour guides. All professional, laid back and down to earth. We went around some piers and they gave us some history on the marine life. We sat there for a good 20 minutes and waited. No dolphins. They can't control nature. It's quite alright with me because this experience was nothing but fun. I was actually relaxed and enjoyed the scenery/weather. I highly recommend this company. If you are in the Virginia Beach area and want to do some outdoor fun, go kayaking! read more

My wife and I recently did both the dolphin kayak tour and a private surf lesson for our anniversary. These are an absolute MUST if you're in VA beach! The owners and all the staff obviously care so much about what they do, about their guests' experience, and about the area. We can't wait to get back! The surf lesson was amazing. Our instructor was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and patient. Before the lesson we didn't think we'd be able to do much in just one session but we both were able to stand and get some great rides in! The dolphin tour (we did the evening tour) was also amazing. We saw over a dozen dolphins and some swam right around us, within about 20 yards. The guides gave great information about the area. Even though the tour was given in a group with people we'd never met, it often felt like a private tour with how the guides gave one-on-one time to each guest. read more

Our guide Megan was really good. There were just the three of us out on the bay. Little more rough due to after a storm. We got to see so many dolphins. I would definitely book this tour again will probably try some others when we come back read more

Really couldn't ask for a better activity on the bay. The company was very communicative and helped us navigate some questionable weather in booking. The launch site was very easy to find with excellent pre-event instructions. Michael and Zack were great guides and had an amazing eye for spotting the fin. We got up close a personal, but still had enough space for all skill levels to keep up and maneuver in the kayak. The guides worked in plenty of breaks with great facts about the Bay Area, the water, the dolphins and even the adjacent military base. Would HIGHLY recommend. read more

We have done the dolphin tour before and it was great, would highly recommend. This time we rented kayaks and went up the river on our own. Great people and good kayaks, no complaints here! read more

I had the best surf lesson with Adam! The company was professional and well prepared. I highly recommend them!

Visiting for the weekend and wanted to do something fun with my husband and 12 yr of son. Found Chesapean and booked a kayak dolphin morning tour. I have been kayaking several times but my boys have only been once before. Didn't matter because this group is fantastic for all levels of skill and kayak experience. Right away from booking, communication was key, from waivers to launch location to potential weather delays or changes. Our tour guides were Dave, Cam, Troy and Nate and every single one of them were absolutely amazing. They went over safety, kayak handling and were all very knowledgeable not only about the dolphins but the local area as well. We had about 10 people in our group and the guides all paid individual attention to each group within the group, taking pictures and making conversation within the tour. Of course we saw a pod of dolphins and that made my day even better! Absolutely would 100% recommend to anyone in the area, vacationing or local. We will definitely book again next time we are in VA beach! read more

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It was a great tour lead by a very knowledgeable Matt. The pace was good for both new and experienced kayakers. We were able to see dolphins and even had the opportunity stretch our legs on the beach on the middle of the tour. read more

They were very helpful for beginners and made sure everyone stayed together. 10 out of 10 would recommend.

My kids have gone to the Chesapean Adventure Camp for the last two summers and they LOVE it. They have a great time and they get to do so much. It is one of the highlights of their summer, which is why we do it twice! read more

My wife, two daughters (13 and 9) and I took the 9 am First Landing kayak tour and had an absolute blast with our guide Michael. The kayaking was just the right challenge for the kids and still a good experience for my wife and I, the scenery was beautiful and Michale did a great job keeping us connected showing us the best spots to visit and telling us a ton of local tidbits and tips. We even got to see ospreys and a bald eagle! read more

Such a cool experience! So happy Tommy let us know about it! Originally my friend and I had planned to rent kayaks on laskin and go out on our own until Tommy let us know about the guided sunset dolphin tour we were stoked!!! Our experience was the best only thing was I forgot my big stray lots of bugs in the evening time. However we saw pods and pods of dolphins up close it was beautiful made the bugs totally worth it! Tommy and Nate took some good picture and videos while we were out and shared them with us really cool guys! Thank you again :) read more

We had a great experience on our dolphin kayak trip. Got to see several pods of dolphins even before we got in the water. Mat our tour guide was great, lots of fun and very informative. His assistant guide Taylor was also super fun and she was a pleasure to hang out with. Whenever am back in VB deff gonna book another trip hopefully in sunnier weather. read more

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Had some friends come into town and I thought let's try something completely different. I decided on the kayaking dolphin tour and it happened to be a GREAT decision. It was most of our first time kayaking. The instructors were Great, saw plenty of dolphins and it was just plain relaxing. I highly recommend setting up a tour for the Summer if you're looking for a good and relaxing time. We will definitely be back for the Sunset tour. read more

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Great experience! We saw several Dolphin pods. The guides were very helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely would recommend this outdoor adventure. read more

We had an awesome adventure kayaking yesterday at sunset! David was a fantastic guide, the seas were a bit rough but soooo worth the experience! All of the guides- David, Will, Stephen & Troy clearly know their stuff. They answered all of our questions & got our large group safely out & back. They even took pictures of each kayak group for us. read more

I was recently on a kayak dolphin tour that went very wrong. To not get lost in detail I will give the bottom line. Chose another company!!! The guide was not prepared when someone on our tour capsized and was not able to get back in the boat and was screaming "HELP" while pulling his wife under bc he was panicking. While this was going their child was watching in another boat with the guide. My 14 year old daughter and I had to take control, tell the guide to go help the struggling man, jump in the guides boat and get the child to safety without invoking panic. More to the story but I'll spare the additional stupidity that occurred. When I called the owner Matt to tell him what happened he was so arrogant and came at me with "are you the lady that wants to sue me bc someone swallowed some water". Enough said. Parents do NOT trust you are safe on this tour with your children!!!! You are NOT! read more

My husband, 6-year-old daughter, and I had the best time on this sunset dolphin kayak tour. We saw TONS of dolphins very close to us, and our guides were funny and kind, making the whole excursion worthwhile. It was obvious how much they love their jobs. They even shared photo and video with us afterward that they captured of our family, which I appreciated since we had our all of our technology into water safe bags. All of us left happy and ready to do the tour again! read more

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I loved being out in the ocean being able to see dolphins swimming a few feet from me. Very relaxing will be returning here the next time I vacation in Virginia Virginia Beach read more

Chesapean Outdoor Camp was, as my daughter stated, "by far the best camp EVER!" From the interactive lessons on various jellyfish to paddle boarding, kayaking, and so much more. My daughter has never been more excited to attend a camp than this week's adventures! It was beyond AMAZING to see what you all do to inspire and make a community out of that group of young adults. The camp counselors are superb with the younger children and my daughter felt safe and loved through every minute of the week. Kudos to you all! We cannot WAIT for next year! ‍‍ read more

Did a morning stand up paddle boarding and loved it! Staff was very professional and fun. Will absolutely do it again!

I went here today for the first time & I had an amazing experience!!! We saw about 3 dolphins before we even got in the water & many more out in the ocean. They did let us know some days it may not be as many as others but today was a good day. Our tour guides were amazing! I went alone so I was in a kayak alone when my arms got tired & I fell back one of them were always with me. We worked w/ the 3 B's Lol cause all their names started w/ a B. But all the equipment was provided it was just a really great tour! Got many pics & videos. Will be going back w/ my friends before the summer is out! read more

Best thing Virginia Beach offers in the summer time! The amount of Dolphins we saw was awesome. We booked this place because of the groupon, it was half the price compared to every other kayaking trip. We called to make our appointment for Wednesday, their 9 am dolphin tour was booked so we took the noon tour. They called us around 10:30 am on Wednesday telling us the waves were large and if we could reschedule for Thursday. We didn't mind because we were prepared for the chance of our trip getting cancelled or postponed due to weather. We started with two single kayaks but they suggested we do a double because it's difficult to paddle through the surf on a double. So we took a double, getting through the surf wasn't scary or too hard, only a few people tipped out. We paddled down around the point into the bay where the Dolphins hang out. We saw tons of Dolphins, some were so close. We stopped and relaxed in front of the light house and watched the Dolphins play. Some of us got out of the kayaks and swam. Our tour guides were fantastic. The nicest guys and really helpful. I highly recommend asking to have Jeremy as your tour guide or getting on a tour with him in charge. He used a paddle board and was so knowledgable about the area and the nature. When we took our break he even let me try out the paddle board (it's a lot harder than it looks!). I am sometimes hesitant to use groupon when choosing something that could really be a hit or miss but it was the best part of our trip. Jeremy did say the 9 am trips see more Dolphins so if I did it again I would go at the earlier tour but we still saw tons of fish and Dolphins! read more

Chesapean Outdoors - Our tour guide and his paddle board - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Chesapean Dolphin Kayaking tour was everything plus some. They were so accommodating and even when they predicted spotty weather for our 5:30pm tour they called and asked if we could come sooner. This was such an amazing accommodation as were leaving town the next day. This company is really awesome and people centered. Our tour guide was so personable and knew so much about everything. We highly recommend touring with Chesapean. read more

Chesapean Outdoors - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

With very few options this time in October, Matt was able to do a private Kayak/Dolphin tour for my girlfriend and I very last minute and scheduled us right away in time to beat some forecasted storms later in the evening. Right from the start launching our kayaks we were in the midst of a whole school of dozens of dolphins for a solid hour. We had a great time. Matt was very knowledgeable of the Dolphins and the area and we felt very safe with his experience. Would love to do another tour one day with this company. Thanks Matt! read more

Unfortunately, I was looking forward to this booking. However, my husband and I had a death in the family and we had to cancel, ended up canceling the entire vacation we had planned. I notify this company 48 hours prior to the booking, they have a cancelation policy that they need 24 hours. I have YET to receive a refund. They have gave me the run around. I have called and text. As advised, I will be taking the next steps to get some resolution. read more

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Just rented some kayaks from them. Awesome customer service! You can do everything through their website including filling out their waiver beforehand. read more

I took 28 kids on a church mission trip to Virginia Beach and was looking for something fun to do on our free day. Fun was what we found. We kayaked with the dolphins and had surfing lessons. It was an amazing time for the kids and the chaperones. Trust me when I say that I have zip lined, go carted and rafted with kids all over the country. The day we spent with these guys was the BEST TIME we have ever had. They receive my highest recommendation. read more

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I just want to thank you for the awesome camp this week! The kids had an amazing time! It is so nice to get them outside with friends after all of the craziness the last few months. Also, you have a great group of counselors that have been super polite, engaging and responsible... especially with all of the COVID precautions. We will definitely recommend future camp sessions to other friends and our son might be back for another session! read more

Such a great experience. Was nervous because I've never kayaked on the ocean before but our guide was amazing and super knowledgeable! Definitely worth the money, and hoping to do it again in the summer! read more

Great find! The prices are reasonable and easy to find with plenty of parking. They sanitized the kayak and let us wipe the paddles ourselves. Beautiful surroundings while on our trip. Can't wait to go back again. read more

Chesapean Outdoors - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Had a great kayaking tour with the awesome Tommy. Also gave a great suggestion for dinner. Thanks Tommy!