St. Pete Dolphin Watching and Shelling Adventure
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Escape the mainland and join Coastal Cruises for a perfect day of Dolphin Watching and Shelling in St. Pete! Our three-hour tour starts with a slow 45-minute dolphin-watching cruise along the intercoastal waterways in St. Pete amidst the multi-million dollar waterfront homes en route to one of our favorite local shelling islands in Florida.
Once stopped at either Shell Island, guests will have up to an hour and a half to go ashore and enjoy the day the locals’ way swimming and exploring at one of these pristine shelling destinations!
Our boat has plenty of shade for those who aren’t quite as adventurous, so feel free to stay aboard, pick the crew’s brain on the local St. Pete area, take in the coastal views, or enjoy the satellite TV featuring your favorite game!
Upon departing the St. Pete shelling islands, we will have an opportunity to once again search for dolphins along the 45-minute intercoastal route back to the marina.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Bar On Board
Restroom On Board
Outside Alcohol Not Permitted
Guests are welcome to pack a snack or lunch to enjoy while stopped at the island
What To Expect
Our journey will begin and/or end passing by multi-million dollar waterfront homes. Our guests love taking in these massive estates owned by St. Pete's local millionaires!
Gulfport
En Route to Sand Dollar or Shell Island, we will pass by St. Petersburg's historic Gulfport community where many sailboats can be seen mooring off the coast of this waterfront town.
Options
Dolphin - Gulfport Location
Starting point:
4630 29th Ave S, Gulfport, FL 33711, USA
St. Pete Dolphin Watching and Shelling Adventure
Dolphin - SkyBeach Location
Starting point:
6800 Sunshine Skyway Ln S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
Dolphin - MarineMax Location
Starting point:
MarineMax St. Petersburg, 6810 Gulfport Blvd S, St. Petersburg, FL 33707, USA
Reviews
177 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Dolphin/shell key tour 💯 recommend
shannon b,
Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The whole experience was awesome! We saw plenty of dolphins and had the most beautiful, relaxing few hours out at shell key. They had free bottled water and all kinds of alcohol drinks for purchase. What a beautiful way to spend a day.
We saw so many dolphins...
Justine F,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We saw so many dolphins and the Shell Key island was so nice to walk around and collect some seashells to bring home.
Great dolphin/shelling cruise
Mary B,
Oct 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Had an awesome time on our dolphin/shelling cruise. Paul and Gavin made it so much fun. They made sure we saw some dolphins (as well as a shark and manatee)! The cruise was the perfect amount of time to allow for dolphin spotting and shelling. Definitely recommend!
This was a great trip for us, and our visitors to St. Pete!
debbiemX7626LY,
Oct 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our group of 4 were on the 3 hr Dolphin Watching and Island Shelling Cruise on 10/18/25 and had a great time! Our captains Justis and Dylan were fun, friendly, informative, and helpful. The boat is very comfortable, with cushioned seats, cold drinks available, a bathroom, and canopy for shade. Found some beautiful shells on Shell Key and saw dolphins in the water along the way. Before the trip, we were provided with all the pertinent information as to parking, what to bring on board, what would be provided, and what time to arrive. I would highly recommend this boat trip, and we will bring visitors on this trip again.
Shell Key/Dolphin tour
Peter H,
Oct 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent tour. Captain and first mate were friendly and professional. We saw dolphins and they didn't just do a quick "drive by". Took the time to really get to watch them and enjoy them. We were given ample time at Shell Key. Fantastic trip and a great way to end our vacation
Dillon and Justus were...
Carol C,
Oct 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Dillon and Justus were great captains and bartenders! Very smooth operation! Great experience overall!
Amazing time!
Sarah M,
Oct 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Justice and Dylan were amazing captains. We saw dolphins and a manatee. Lovely tour. Shelling and beach beautiful. Great trip. Highly recommend!
Great Fun!!
Kasie M,
Oct 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a great time with Aaron and Dillon! They were so helpful and knowledgeable. We would definitely go again!
The best boat tour ever!
Joy L,
Oct 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00On Sept 26th did the dolphin and seashell tour, had the best captains ever, Barry & Dylan. They were fun, personable, and made sure we saw dolphins, and pointed out points of interest. The whole experience was very enjoyable.
Awesome dolphin and she’ll island experience!
Jennifer C,
Sep 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a must do! Barry and Dylan, the boat captains, were so great! Very personable and knowledgeable about the area. They kept maneuvering the boat so we could see all the dolphins up close. When we docked on Shell Island, they put some Sunchill floats in the water so we could just hang out. Good selection of beverages onboard also. We highly recommend this excursion!
Related Experiences
Operated by Coastal Cruises