Small Group 2 Hour Dolphin Cruise with Snorkeling to Shell Key
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Hop on a cruise to Shell Key Island and see dolphins and other wildlife while snorkeling. At this pristine wildlife preserve, you'll get to snorkel and observe the wildlife, go for a relaxing swim, or just walk along the beach and collect shells. Depending on the time of year, you'll see dolphins in their natural habitat, along with manatees, rays, and wild birds.
All of our rides are semi-private, with a maximum of 6 passengers per boat, so you get to avoid the crowds when you ride with us.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
You must check in 30 minutes prior to your departure time. All trips leave promptly at their departure time
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
What To Expect
Island Ferry's Dolphin-Snorkeling Cruise takes you snorkeling by boat to Shell Key, and to see dolphins at the same time! See dolphins in their natural habitat, along with manatees, rays, and wild birds. Go snorkeling and shelling on Shell Key Preserve, where you'll find hermit crabs, conchs, rays, horseshoe crabs, and more. Island Ferry is not a drop-off service, but rather the boat stays at Shell Key with you for the entire time. You can take a break from snorkeling and shelling, and sit on our shaded boats with a cold drink. And while you and your family are in the water, the Island Ferry crew stands watch on lifeguard duty. So we keep everyone safe! We provide the snorkel gear and the floating noodles.
Options
4:15pm Dolphin/Shell Key
See dolphins and visit Shell Key at the same time! See dolphins in their natural habitat, along with manatees, rays, and wild birds. Then go shelling on Shell Key Preserve.
Mid Day Dolphin/Shell Key
Dolphin/Shell Key: See dolphins and visit Shell Key at the same time! See dolphins in their natural habitat, along with manatees, rays, and wild birds. Then go shelling on Shell Key Preserve.
9am Dolphin/Shell Key
See dolphins and visit Shell Key at the same time! See dolphins in their natural habitat, along with manatees, rays, and wild birds. Then go shelling on Shell Key Preserve.
What‘s Included
Bottled water
Parking at the marina
Use of Snorkelling equipment
BYOB welcome
Cooler with ice on board
FREE parking at the Tierra Verde Marina Resort
Food, unless specified
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
1,609 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fantastic experience.
638catp,Jun 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an absolute gem found through TripAdvisor! Troy was our guide and we had an absolute fabulous boat cruise. We saw dolphins galore and even some manatees. If I could give 15 stars I absolutely would. Highly recommend for families - he even took pictures of us with our camera. He knew where the marine life was, even had some dolphins play in the wake of our boat. So so amazing!
Troy was amazing
Khloe P,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I absolutely loved it and my tour guide Troy was an amazing guide we saw manatees and dolphins swam next to us and it was very Beautiful
Dolphins & Shells
Sabrina N,Jun 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00The captain is friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. He shared information about the area as he encouraged us to be on the lookout for wildlife. We saw a few dolphins along the way and enjoyed snorkeling for shells. For my family, this was “the big thing” we did on our trip, and we were happy with it. If we had a bit more time out on the boat and in the water, I would have given a 5 star review.
Dolphins and Manatees were awesome!
Shannon S,Jun 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00We really enjoyed the boat ride. We saw dolphins and manatees. I thought we would be in a good area for snorkeling. We stopped in an area that was quiet and warm water that we enjoyed. However, we could not see anything in the water because it was dark.
It’s a wonderful time we...
Warren W,Jun 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It’s a wonderful time we saw lots of water animals. Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We got lucky and got a one on one with Dave!
Family fun!
craiggF1372ZX,Jun 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Troy was fantastic! Got great pics of the dolphins
Lovely Boat Ride
Emily C,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a lovely boat ride with Troy, who was very knowledgeable on the area! Saw lots of dolphins and had a great time!
Sea breeze, sunshine and fun!
bethanybJ6216NZ,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The experience was worth the price. We took an Uber to the tour and had no issues signs clearly mark where to go and check in was easy. Two hours goes by quickly but we were able to split the time looking for dolphins and on the beach for shell collecting/snorkeling. When we spotted dolphins it was easy to get videos and at the beach there are plenty of shells. Our captain Troy was very knowledge about wildlife and entertained us with facts about the area. The captain’s interaction with the guests was friendly and fun. Overall it was an enjoyable time!
Wonderful Dolphin Cruise
yearyjk,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an excellent time on the dolphin cruise. Our captain was Troy and he did an excellent job pointing out the dolphins and explaining everything on the way to Shell Island. We would definitely do it again.
No better way to spend the morning
Kim F,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Thanks to the friendliness and expertise of our captain, Troy, and the surprising comfort of the small boat, I can’t think of a better way to spend the morning! His advice to have lunch at the island Grill was a winner too!
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Operated by Island Ferry LLC