Key West Dolphin Watch Tour
- Aboard our Purpose Designed boat SQUID
- Crew Guided Snorkeling
- Organic fruit & veggies, hummus, Filtered Water
- Family Friendly
Want to explore mangroves by kayak and snorkel in the wildlife refuge?
More water adventures? Our Sunset Sail + Reef Snorkel & Sandbar is the perfect follow-up.
Our Key West Dolphin Tour Difference
Three Core Values That Shape Your Experience
Authentic
Founded by a local biologist and his family to share their love for Key West’s natural environment. We design and customize our boats and trips to create a truly authentic Key West experience.The Original Tour, Now on a Custom Boat
Small Groups
Friend-and-family-style trips, with our multi-activity eco tours capped at sixteen adults—though our average group size is even smaller.Average Group size of 11 and max of 16
Genuine Hospitality
With childhood roots in a small family business in Kentucky, we genuinely care about providing a warm and welcoming experience for our cherished guests.Interpreted dolphin watching, and guided snorkeling.
Tour Information
Dolphin Watch:
- Dolphin Watch: We usually spot dolphins on over 90% of our trips!
- Respectful Viewing: You can feel good when joining our wildlife experiences. We prioritize the dolphins’ well-being, so we’ll approach them with care, we believe their needs come first.
Snorkeling:
- Beginner-Friendly: We seek out snorkel spots that are calm. We’ll guide you through everything you need to know.
- Snorkel Time: We aim for about an hour of snorkeling. Remember, nature sets the schedule, so we adjust based on the best conditions.
Sandbar:
- Sandbars are very weather-sensitive—windy or stormy conditions are actually what shape and move them, which also makes them more susceptible to changing conditions day to day. While we tend to run sandbar trips more often in the summer months when the weather is typically calmer, conditions can vary any time of year.
We always do our best to include the sandbar in your trip, but it’s not guaranteed if the weather isn’t cooperating. If that’s the case, our captain will make the best call for the day and adjust the plan to make sure you still have a great experience, whether that’s more time snorkeling or exploring other calm, beautiful areas.
Either way, we always make sure it’s a fun and memorable day out on the water.
On the Boat:
- Kid-Friendly: Our boat is well-contained, making it good for young children. Just a heads-up, no climbing or standing on the seats, please!
- Comfort First: Elderly guests will appreciate the back support on our benches, and there’s a convenient bathroom with space to change.
Sun Protection
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen (Sun Shirts are By Far the best for sun protection. we have some for sale onboard in summer months, but we may not have your size in stock)
- Hats (Also sold on board)
Warm Clothes: It can be chilly in the winter, what is warm on land can feel much colder at sea!
- Fleeces and Windbreakers or Rain Jackets.
Swimming: Personal Swimwear (in winter months we have “shortie” wetsuits on board)
- Beach or bath towels
- We provide high quality snorkel gear, but if you have gear you love you are welcome to bring it.
Key West Dolphin Watch Gallery
Dolphin Tours Guest Reviews
FAQs
Cancellation Policy & Optional Trip Insurance For Eco Tours
(Does Not Apply to Private Charters)
We strive to make your booking experience as flexible and accommodating as possible. Understanding that plans can change, we offer a generous cancellation policy and optional trip insurance for when flexibility is paramount.
Cancellation Policy:
-
Free Cancellation up to 6 Days: You can cancel or reschedule your trip at no charge up to 6 days (144 hours) prior to the departure time.
-
Within 6 Days: We cannot allow cancellations or rescheduling within 6 days of your trip. This policy applies regardless of when the booking was made.
Optional Trip Insurance:
-
Added Flexibility: For added peace of mind, we offer optional cancellation insurance that can be added to your booking during purchase. This insurance allows you to cancel or reschedule your trip for any reason, right up to the moment of departure.
-
Rescheduling: If you choose to reschedule, this will be subject to availability, ensuring we can accommodate your new preferred time without impacting other guests.
We recommend considering our cancellation insurance to cover unexpected changes such as illness or other unforeseen events. This option provides you with flexibility and ensures that you can enjoy your experience with us without worry.
Punctuality
To ensure timely departures and respect for all our guests, please arrive at the boat and be ready to board 20 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. Regrettably, we cannot delay departure for guests who arrive late and are unable to offer refunds or reschedule missed trips unless trip insurance was purchased.
Parking
Parking availability varies significantly depending on the time of year and time of day. During peak periods, such as holidays, finding parking can be particularly challenging. To avoid stress and ensure a relaxed start to your adventure, we recommend allowing ample time to park. The area around the dock is scenic and worth exploring, so arriving early offers the added bonus of potentially spotting fish or manatees!
Traffic
Traffic in town is generally manageable, but if you’re traveling from Miami, be aware that delays are possible, especially if there’s an accident on US1. To mitigate potential delays, we highly recommend considering our optional trip insurance, which allows for last-minute changes to your plans without penalty, please review trip insurance, reschedules are based on availability.
While our tours are designed to be inclusive, accommodating guests of all ages, the specific activities featured, such as snorkeling or kayaking, may vary in accessibility and physical demands.
-
Please note that entering the kayaks, or ocean for snorkeling require a degree of mobility to manage entry and exit.
For detailed information on the suitability of specific trip activities for different age groups and physical fitness levels, please read our blog post: Who Are Our Trip Activities Appropriate For? (Link to blog post)
Great Question!
At least in Key West, there is no difference in the dolphins behavior based on time of day.
Dolphins Split their day into three major parts: Play, Hunting, Sleeping. BUT they do not do them like we do where we go to work for 8 hours straight, or go to sleep for 8 hours straight. They split there day up much more frequently than that and usually sleep for 45 minutes or so at a time. They also do not follow a nocturnal/diurnal schedule.
What This means is there is not a “best time” of day to go watch them and we recommend choosing the time slots that best fit your availability!
No. The Key West Dolphins that spend their lives in our nearby waters have never been fed, this is unlike other areas of Florida and definitely unlike aquariums where they keep dolphins in pens to perform tricks for profits. We believe it is unwise to feed wild dolphins and unethical to keep dolphins captive for entertainment.
FYI, when Captain Ron started Dolphin Watch 1986, almost 40 years ago, he was the only commercial boat that was observing wild dolphins. He came to see himself, rightfully so, as a steward of the dolphins and would scold anyone who behaved poorly around them. Locals began to call the dolphins “Ron’s Dolphins” and they got onboard with early ethical wildlife viewing! Thanks Ron for putting the needs of the dolphins first and foremost!
Because we deal with Mother Nature, it’s not easy to answer this question directly.
The trip is designed to allow around 45 minutes for Dolphin Watching and 45-60 minutes for Snorkeling. However, we might decide to say farewell to a group of sleepy dolphins, go snorkeling, and then try to find a more active group of dolphins afterward. If the snorkeling conditions are exceptionally good, we may snorkel for longer and then ask you to grab a seat so we can drive the boat home faster than usual.
When you book an Eco Tour, it’s important to choose an operator you trust. Our guides use all their knowledge and skills to deliver the best overall experience, which is why it’s crucial to know who you are choosing when you want to immerse yourself in the local wildlife. What I always say as a promise is that I’m going to make the same decisions on our trips that I would make if you (our guests) were my family or old friends from out of town visiting. I want us to give you the best trip possible for that day!
Sandbars are shaped by wind and wave action, which means conditions at the sandbar can change from day to day. We always do our best to include a sandbar stop, but if the weather isn’t cooperating, our captain will adjust the plan to make sure you still have an amazing time—whether that means more time snorkeling, exploring other calm areas, or finding a more sheltered spot. Either way, we make sure it’s a great day on the water.
Our satisfaction guarantee
If you think we didn’t hold up our end of the bargain, you can receive gift cards for your next experience.
Still Deciding? View Our Other Honest Eco Tours
Dolphin Watch + Sunset Catamaran Sail
Our most mellow tour. Search for dolphins under a setting sun. This tour does not feature snorkeling. Offered Nov - Apr.
Kayak tour + Guided Snorkel & Morning Sail
Kayak tour of the mangroves, plus a Guided Snorkel
Sandbar Charter + Private Snorkeling
Perfect for small friend groups and families. Book a Private charter aboard our 6 passenger maximum boat Cowfish.
Private Charters: Choose your own Adventure!
Prices vary by tour, boat and group size. Book online or customize.
Sunset Catamaran Sail + Reef Snorkel & Sandbar
This Reef Snorkel and Sandbar visit takes advantage of the warm calm weather.