HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TRIP! We have a 2 and 6 y/o and they cannot stop talking about it. The captain started by asking what our goals were for the outing. We wanted to 1) see dolphins, 2) snorkel, 3) spend time at a remote sandbar, 4) anything else he recommended. We were able to accomplish all 4, and then some! We had a pod of dolphins swimming around and under our boat, which was amazing. We found a very shallow sandbar and decided to snorkel there, with our kids being young. We saw fish and found a large conch shell that our 6 y/o still talks about days later. We saw the remnants of a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere. And then ended the day watching the sun go down. Just breathtaking. Cannot recommend it enough. There were also a variety of sodas, waters, and snacks available which came in handy with little ones. A nice touch that we were glad to take advantage of while in the middle of the ocean. In summary... yes, it costs more to charter a boat, but the intimate atmosphere with just your family and friends around make it absolutely priceless. I'd pay triple the price to make these memories with my family, and not have 25 strangers in the background of each picture. Splurge once and you will know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Did the three hour dolphin and snorkel ride for $99/person. Originally was supposed to go earlier but they called me the day before and said the weather would be bad and asked if we could postpone it and I am glad we did because the weather was much sunnier and less windy the next day. James did a great job as our captain. It's nice you can bring your own beverages and they have some snacks on board. We drove around key west stopping at a few points, then rode out to an area to snorkel for a bit where we saw tons of sponges and some little fish, and then head back toward Key West, into the marina, and then back to where we started. Honestly, we didn't see any dolphin until we were on our way back in from snorkeling, and it honestly felt like it was just pure luck that we saw one but thank goodness we did since it was the highlight of the safari. The boat was pretty nice and comfortable. There were 6 total people including Captain James. The front is definitely the best place to see things from, so try to get a seat there if you can, even though it's not under the shaded cover part. It's like $112.36 per person after tax/fees plus there's a big sign on the boat guilt tripping you into tipping at least 20%. It's fine because James did a great job and deserved the 20% tip (although if we didn't bump into that dolphin on the way in, I would've felt a bit ripped off for the price), but basically expect to be out over $130 per person for a three hour boat ride. This can get pretty expensive, especially if you have a family, and I would've felt ripped off if we didn't see a dolphin but luckily we did so it was a cool experience that I definitely recommend when the weather is nice, winds are calm. Their website had higher prices in the description than the $99 that was actually charged so I hope they don't raise their prices because that would get kind of expensive. Especially when I was just in Miami and could rent a 13 person yacht for four hours $1300 so $100/person plus tax and tip is about the most I would be willing to pay for this experience, especially since seeing dolphins isn't guaranteed so you are basically just paying for a 3 hour boat ride. read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Snorkel area. Water was about 4 feet deep. Beautiful day. Lots of sponges. - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

We didn't do the actual dolphin safari, but instead used their charters for the Sandbar excursion. Honestly should have still been the dolphin tour for how many dolphins we did see! Absolutely a fantastic excursion with a wonderful captain. Loved being able to go out to the sandbar with the swing and relax in the water. They even gave out some snacks. Coolers are on board for any BYOB. A few slightly shaded seats on board. Can't really ask for more! read more

Amazing! What a wonderful sailing experience! Great memories ! Thanks for the good service!

We took the 3 hour snorkel and dolphin cruise. The boat was a beautiful, spotless bow rider. The weather was amazing and the ride was gorgeous. But the absolute BEST part of this trip was the captain Jeff! I have to say, he had to be one of the kindest people I have ever meet. Book your trip and tell them you want Jeff's boat!! Thanks Jeff! -Marion and Karen read more

We took the sunset dolphin and snorkel cruise with Tim and it was absolutely unbelievable! He was a great captain and took us to so many great spots. We saw atleast 30 dolphins, snorkeled and saw rays, and a gorgeous sunset. Will be doing this again when we come back! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

Outstanding trip with the Dolphin Safari crew. We started at the beautiful Perry Hotel in Stock Island. Prior to departure we awaited the boat to arrive while having a lovely adult beverage at The Salty Oyster bar. Once we boarded the boat it was a smooth day to venture through key west. After viewing about 6-8 Dolphins we drove to a wonderful snorkel area to see the shipwreck below with tons of coral and fish. Our next stop was the Sandbar where we sat around and mingled with our family from Brazil to complete the day. Since we are locals and our day off, we really enjoyed the ease of this trip and couldn't of asked for anything more. Great trip and we thank the crew for a lovely experience. Must attend while in Key West !!! Book through or call the key west visitor center www.keywest123.com or text 305-296-8881. read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

Best experience ever!! Our family had so much fun! Clean boat. Knowledgeable captain. Highly recommend! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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We had the best time with Capt. Nikki. I haven't laughed this much in a while. It was so much fun.

We had an Awesome trip. James was our Captain and did a great job providing us with a fantastic trip. We did exactly what we wanted to do and enjoyed a beautiful sunset with Champagne. I would highly recommend this company and hire James as your Captain. James is very knowledgeable of the area and provided us with great views and knowledge of the surrounding area. I would add this trip to your list of activities to do when in Key West. read more

I do not recommend this company. It was just a long boat ride. Not much to learn. Look for another company for sure.

This was a wonderful snorkeling trip with Capt Gary. He is a great tour guide and we really enjoyed his knowledge and fun conversation. Looked for some dolphins but they didn't want to show themselves during our trip. We did however have great time snorkeling though. Water was between 15 feet down to as little as 1 foot with good visibility. We saw a 4 foot nurse shark resting on the bottom in about 6 feet of water. No worries though since nurse sharks won't bother you unless you get too close and then they may defend themselves. Also saw many beautiful fish, an 18 inch wide stingray that was swimming around in the area. They provide all the equipment needed to snorkel and they only take 6 people per trip so it's a good size. They also provide drinks and snacks. read more

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Highlight of our trip to Florida! We (female 49 with 3 boys (2x15 and 11) travelled from Vancouver, BC to Florida for a trip to Disney and a short 2 day trip to the keys. Wanting to cram in as much as we could in a brief trip we booked a 3 hour boat trip with dolphin tours. Ed and Melanie were immediately warm and friendly upon arrival which made us feel so at ease and welcome. With Melanie as our captain, the chill and friendly vibe continued throughout our beautiful and relaxing boat trip. Melanie found us dolphins, a lovely snorkelling spot and a once in a lifetime sunset all while making sure the teens were comfortable (pee breaks, blankets, sofas, snacks and music). Was an absolutely fantastic and unforgettable afternoon! read more

Had a really good experience. We went for the $99/head dolphin/snorkel/sandbar experience and it was worth it! Total or 6 people in the boat, 3 hrs tour and really had a great time! They provide water, soda and snacks. read more

We went out today 3/26/21 on dolphin safari. And it was the best thing we have done this week, (it is our honeymoon.) My husband wanted to snorkel so he got to do that, and he was so happy! What a great place she picked! And I loved the dolphins, we got to watch them eat and (mate) laugh out loud!! It was definitely worth it. And I would recommend it to everyone that goes to the keys. Gary was nice and very welcoming. And our tour guide lady was the sweetest ever, and so funny! I will definitely be back to the keys even if it's just to go on the dolphin safari charters! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Husband snorkeling - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Captain Tim was a great captain and guide. He was so informative, laid back and took the time to make sure we were all good. He helped a few first time snorkelers ease their anxiety and gave them helpful steps on how to learn to snorkel. Thank you so much Tim for a great night out on the water. We will be back! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Sunset over Key West - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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My husband and I booked this last minute and it was the best decision we made! We went out with Captain Cathy who was so kind and knowledgeable. We were lucky and got to see 2 dolphins on our trip. The snorkeling was also incredible!! I highly recommend. read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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We had an incredible adventure today for our Dolphin Safari. Captain Tim was amazing! He knew all the spots to go. We saw lots of dolphins and then while snorkeling we observed a loggerhead turtle! Then we went to a sandbar and had Bonnethead sharks swimming just a few feet away. Overall an incredible experience read more

We had an amazing time the sunset was breath taking. The staff was very laid back and relaxed I would most definitely book again

Thank you captains Gary and Kyle for taking our party of eight out in your two boats!! The trip was fun, safe, very professional and very personable. This all happened with over 20 knot winds in the area and they still found us great places that were calm, scenic and comfortable to to get. To us this demonstrated great local knowledge and concern for our experience and we'll being. But we've come to expect as this as this trip was our 7th trip with dolphin over the years and certainly won't be our last. Again, thanks guys!!! read more

The boat was super comfortable with cushioned seats. The captain was entertaining and knowledgeable. The spot we went to on the sandbar was terrific. We really had a great time read more

Amazing time, Captain Gary is a great ‍ so much fun we saw a bunch of dolphins stingrays , can't even count the fish. Water is so warm great day with the family highly recommend it read more

My mom took me out as a lovely surprise while I was visiting her in keywest, everything was so lovely. Got a chance to see a mom and very you do dolphin! Capt. Gary was fantastic, lovely small group and boat, let's you get super close to the dolphins! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

If your ever in key west this charter is a must, and make sure you take the 4pm tour, you'll get to see the sunset.. I don't know where to start, from the time we step foot on the boat until we got off was fantastic, Capt Amy was informative and so nice, I think she showed us or told us about the whole island. The sunset was the highlight for me, saying it was beautiful would be a understatement, words nor a camera could capture the true beauty of it. Snorkeling was fun, It made want a salt water fish tank. read more

This trip is absolutely worth it! Captain Gary is fantastic, funny and informative. We saw 2 pods of dolphins and they were literally under and next to the boat. We even saw some jumping and mating in the distance. Captain Gary came snorkeling with us in about 5 feet of water and pointed out fish, lobsters and conchs. Key West snorkel spots aren't the best in the Keys, but we really enjoyed ourselves. I'd recommend this trip to beginner snorkelers because he offers noodles for floating and comfortable fins. He also offered snacks and drinks! Excellent, affordable trip that I'd recommend to families, couples and beginners. read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - 6/17/14 - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Captain Jim was very friendly and informative. It was a great adventure for our group. I recommend this trip to anyone.

We had an amazing trip with our Captain Patricia! She ensure she took us to the best place to see the dolphins! Snorkeling was an awesome experience, she did it with us and showed us the best areas with fish. I highly recommend it! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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This review is long overdue. We had a fantastic trip back in May! Captain Chris took us out first thing in the morning and we had the greatest time. It was essentially a private adventure, with just my husband and I and one other couple. Chris took us out to snorkel first, knowing that later in the morning the bigger tour boats would be heading out. Her plan was perfect! We were the only boat in her "secret spot" and enjoyed peaceful swimming. Timing was perfect- as we were heading out, a bigger boat packed with tourists started heading toward the area! We then set out to find the dolphins. I must admit, prior to heading out on the trip, I was more excited for the snorkeling, and thought of the dolphin seeking portion as a nice add on. Boy was I wrong! It ended up being the highlight of the trip! It took us a little bit to get out to one of the areas the dolphins typically congregate- with Chris telling us all along they're of course wild animals and there was no guarantee we'd see any. Then it happened and we saw a pack up ahead! It was SO cool to see them up close, swimming right alongside our boat. What a neat experience!!! Highly recommend this tour! Very reasonably priced too, especially considering it is essentially a private adventure. Thanks Captain Chris!! read more

We had the most amazing experience with Melanie on Dolphin Safari Charters! She is an amazing Captain who really, truly cares about her passengers and what their goals are for the trip. I told her I wanted to see Dolphins and she did everything she could to make that happen (sometimes they're sleeping and it's not that easy to find them.) We loved her so much we went and booked a second trip with her the next day! Our first trip was amazing, the sandbar was beautiful and breathtaking but our second trip was beyond amazing, we saw dolphins swimming, mating and playing right before our eyes. Was a true dream come true for us and Melanie made it all happen. Thank you Melanie for being amazing and making our trip so memorable! I am telling everyone to book you if they go! You are the best! Thank you! read more

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We enjoyed our Dolphin Watch/ Snorkeling 3 hour boat tour. We left from the beautiful Perry Hotel in Stock Island. We were the only two that showed up, so we felt pretty lucky. The boat is very nice, I understand that it's only 6 months old. Captain Tim was informative, laid back and very knowledgable. We saw many dolphins, birds and a sea turtle. Hubby snorkeled and was happy with the fish he saw. (It was a bit chilly on the day we went, so I stayed on the boat). Learned a lot from Captain Tim. We would recommend this tour! read more

Fun tour of water , saw a number of dolphins , snorkeled and hung out on a sand bar ! Very relaxing fun experience

We had an excellent experience with Captain Gary. From the moment he pulled up to the dock to pick us up we knew it was going to be a great trip. He was very knowledgeable, funny and a great Captain. It was the most perfect day, the water was smooth, we saw a lot of dolphins and other marine life. He took as around the island showing different sites. The next time in Key West, we will be booking another trip with him. read more

We went out with Captain Gary and enjoyed the day even thought we saw no dolphins. He was in constant contact with other boats as they help each other find where the dolphins are at a given time. Nobody saw dolphins that day. We had a very nice snorkel and a genrally pleasant morning. The food is not worth mentioning but we went to be on the water, etc. Gary is considerate and entertaining. We were with other adults and the slightLy higher price is worth it to me to be with fewer people. He only takes six at a time and we ended up with just another couple. The location is easy to find and we had a good time. read more

My friend and I spent a day and Captain Gary's boat snorkeling. We both had a wonderful experience and Captain Gary is very thorough explaining step-by-step. We enjoyed it so much not only did we stayed for one three hour cruise and snorkeling we stayed for his second cruise we spent six hours and two of his Charters and we had a wonderful time. We look forward to seeing Captain Gary again this winter. Thanks for a wonderful first time snorkeling adventure.I would highly recommend his tour. read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

The snorkeling and dolphin tour was very disappointing! Value for money does not worth it! We had a nice captain but it felt like she just did her job and did not really go beyond to make it entertaining. She also drove the boat so fast, it felt like she just wants it to be done. We saw dolphins which was nice but the snorkeling part was SO misleading. The reef the captain chose (there are few options) was very boring, we spent 10 mins in water and everyone came back since there was not much to see. Totally not worth the price for private tour. read more

We had a blast!! Captain Gary was extremely knowledgeable and skilled. We saw lots of dolphins up close as well as a variety of sea creatures. We saw a beautiful nurse shark just a few feet from us as well as a whole group of stingrays. He knew just where to take us to show us really great stuff and fit a lot into the time we had scheduled with him! Well worth the money!!! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Just back from this adventure and it was great! Captain Richard was informative and fun. We saw lots of dolphins and an amazing sunset. Snorkeling was decent but don't expect a reef with vibrant color fish. This is just a basic snorkel. Regardless, highly Recommend and take the later trip for the sunset. read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Don't go with the big corporate tours. Take a small boat out and get a personal experience. We couldn't have asked for a better day out with Captain Gary. We had a dozen dolphins right up in front of the boat, snorkeled, and chilled on a sand bar (our favorite part). read more

Such an amazing time with Captain Gary. He only takes 6 people and when I saw other very large boats with tons of people crowded on them I knew I made the right choice for my family. Saw a bunch of Dolphins immediately, snorkeling was great, Gary is so fun he even let my son drive the boat for a bit! My family had an amazing time. I highly recommend! read more

Dolphin Safari Charters - Boat Tours Near Me - Key West, Florida

Our trip with Dolphin Safari exceeded our expectations. My wife and I were the only guests on board with Captain Marianne. (Gary, the business owner, was taking a larger group out at the same time.) So, just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fun-filled trip, that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship! After a few minutes of slow going, we entered the open sea. Marianne pointed out some birds and told us a bit about herself. She has about five years experience in these waters. She's also a sand sculptor, which is pretty interesting in and of itself. She's from the Netherlands. After a short, drama-free boat ride, we entered what Cap'n Marianne called the "dolphin playground." We waited a bit, and sure enough, dolphins appeared. We saw several pods including a mating pair of three. They circled our boat several times. I took pictures while my wife giggled like a little girl. Marianne told us some fun facts about dolphins. She moved the boat slowly and generally let the dolphins come to us. Dolphin Safari is Dolphin SMART, the first company to join this federal program. When it was time to move on to the snorkeling portion of the trip, the dolphins seemed to get extra frisky so we stayed for a few more minutes. Sure enough, my very last dolphin photo was of the 'smiling' face of a dolphin surfacing next to our boat to check us out. Our snorkeling site was in shallow waters near a capsized Cuban fishing boat. Cap'n Marianne helped us get situated and was patient as we floundered around at first. It didn't take long to get the hang of snorkeling, and we saw a lot of fish, although none of the coral and sea turtles you see on the website. No matter, it was pleasant in the water. As the sun went down at the end of our trip, we swung by the waterfront at Mallory Square. My wife did her best "pageant wave" to all the revelers packed in like sardines to watch Old Sol do his nightly plunge into the sea. We headed back around an island into less crowded waters and watched an incredible sunset. At just the right moment, our Cap'n offered to take our photo, and we now have a keepsake of a great adventure with the perfect backdrop, a Key West sunset. This excursion was one of the highlights of our trip. Marianne was great---we didn't miss Skipper or Gilligan one bit---and those splashing dolphins and brilliant sunset will live in our memories for a long time to come. read more